Nothing About Us is Normal
by wordsaremyescape
Summary: This was the way it was supposed to be. Giving it all up to give her a life that they just can't. So why is it so hard to put a pen to paper? Why is it so hard to just walk away? Quick!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, my newly formed obsession with Quick has given me a muse that wouldn't shut up and it turned into this. Lemme know what you think. Just fair warning, this is my first attempt at a Glee fic. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

She has no idea how long she's lying there, simply in a daze. After nine months, she's finally done it. In no time at all, any evidence of her blimp-like physique will be gone. It'll be like the night of wine coolers and naked bodies never even happened. The smells of antiseptic, so strong that she can taste it, is a harsh reminder that no matter what she does when she leaves, the memory of shallow cries echoing through the maternity wing will be with her forever.

Glee club, the twice a week gathering of McKinley High's outcasts, was originally supposed to be a job, hired by coach Sylvester to destroy it from the inside. As much as Quinn enjoyed status, she had her own motives. She had to be sure to watch his every move when it came to the likes of Rachel Berry. Not that he was even really hers. But he was on the football team, she the head cheerleader. Cliché as it was, they belonged together. And they had been together. They weren't sober by any means but she gave him something of hers that meant everything.

Puck didn't work like that. Noah Puckerman wasn't one to stick to a single girl. Knowing this, she'd done it anyway. Not that she remembered that night. It was all just a buzzing blur of alcohol and proclamations of love that she knew meant nothing. By the end of the night, she'd just be another one of the girls, drunk enough to have a little fun with. His lack of self-control when it came to girls was no surprise to her.

Even so, she wasn't going to let Rachel be one of them. Not that she liked the short brunette who insisted on the most bizarre outfits. Her inability to stop talking was one of the many things that made her insides burn. It took every bit of inner strength not to strangle her, if she was really being honest. So, as much as it killed her, when Quinn heard that Puck was encouraged to join glee club, she was more than happy to spy.

She wasn't there to sing. Cheerios didn't sing. Singing was for the outsiders, the ones who didn't belong anywhere. Quinn Fabray belonged somewhere. Her place was the top of a pyramid, pompoms in hand, spotless white toothed smile on her face. Once they were done, she was out. Once glee was destroyed she could walk out, the widest smile on her face, football player on her arm.

Months later, here she was, the dim lighting of a delivery room serving her a hefty dose of harsh reality. Her usually well kept hair stuck to her forehead as she struggled to regain her breath. It took her a minute to understand what exactly she'd just done. At sixteen, Quinn had just finished giving birth to a little girl she had yet to see. If she had anything to say about it, things would stay that way. Not knowing what she looked like would make things so much easier.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. Sporting his signature mawhawk, Puck sat next to her not daring to make eye contact with anything but the wall in front of him. She knew why he was doing this. He was leaving it up to her, just as she'd asked him to do. The decision to do so hadn't come quietly.

The two went at each other for months, the truth hidden to everyone but the two of them. Puck approached her at least once a week, his attempts to convince her to change her already made up mind, coming up empty. As many times as she shut him down, he'd come right back, determined to let her see it his way. He wasn't his father. If she let him, they could be a family. Being parents at their age wasn't going to be easy but, if they wanted it bad enough, they could pull it off. She didn't want it, _couldn't _want it. She saw him rise from the seat next to her, his callused hand slipping out from under hers. Quinn wasn't about to tell him to put it back. She wasn't about to tell him how much she missed the warmth.

"Where are you going?" she whispered. For the first time, his eyes met hers. She could tell that behind the tough exterior, he was falling apart. Not that he gave off any obvious signs. Puck wasn't about to show anyone any form of weakness. She knew how well he tried to hide it. Quinn understood him well enough, better than anyone how he chose to grieve. Their daughter wasn't dead, no. After today though, it would be like she never was. They both knew how much a lie that was. No matter what happened to her, they'd always remember. They had months of late night cravings and mood swings to show for it.

"I…I have to go and say goodbye," he whispered. Quinn nodded solemnly, keeping to herself the fact that she could see a single tear begging to crawl down his cheek. Without a word, he turned around and headed for the nursery. As he walked away, she couldn't help thinking how brave he was. As much as it would hurt him later, he was determined to see her. Quinn wasn't so brave. If she stayed here, bringing a pen to paper won't hurt so much.

The constant buzz filled his ears was his only friend as he made his way down to the nursery. He couldn't even remember making it past a nurse. Whether he had or hadn't wasn't entirely clear, nor all that important. His main focus was Beth. _Beth _he thought. The name sounding more fitting with each time it rolled around in his head. Puck hadn't said it out loud yet but he doubted that would change anything. The name would stick. It had to. Her name was the only thing she'd be able to take with her, the only thing she had to remember them by. Naming her was the one thing Puck had control over.

Already late into the evening, he'd been here six times before. The only thing that brought him back to Quinn's room was the nurse's insistence that he should grab something to eat. He couldn't bring himself to leave her. If she was going to be gone after today, he'd take in every minute he possibly could.

Every time they kicked him out, Puck would simply nod, robotically handing his daughter off to the attending nurse. _His daughter_. The thought brought a small smile to his face. Before handing her off, he made sure to bring a feather light kiss to her hair, a silent "I love you" passing his lips. As much as they insisted, he never really left. The knot in his stomach made it impossible to eat anything. So instead, he'd walk back to her room, silently taking his spot next to the bed, neither saying a word. He didn't have to, didn't want to, couldn't. If he said anything to her, he'd have to look at her. If he looked at her he'd let everything slip out before he could stop himself.

Puck knew that the minute he opened his mouth, they'd be right back to where they were not too long ago. The anger, the disappointment, the pleading for Quinn to change her mind, out before he could stop himself. Silence was best. Silence was safe. He could feel what he wished with no judgment from her. Within his own mind, she had no place to tell him right from wrong. He could grieve for, fantasize, and love his little girl all he wanted.

When he wasn't watching the chipping plaster on the walls, he was watching the hands of the clock above his head. He'd give himself long enough for them to believe he'd eaten and then find his way back. Just as he'd done a half a dozen times before, he silently returned, taking in the sight of her tiny body as it lay wrapped in a soft pink blanket. Hands, so used to sending a football halfway across the field, carefully removed her, bringing her safely to settle against his chest.

By now she'd gotten used to his presence, her ability to settle almost instant. Puck took in her every feature, each one sitting perfectly on her face. The little girl was all Quinn, the only evidence that she was his was her tuft of dark brown hair. Sitting down quietly, he felt her stir, her mouth opening and closing for a minute before quieting once again.

"I'm back," he whispered. "Just like I promised," he smiled. He saw her little ears perk up at the sound of his voice as he brushed her cheek gently. Her soft, virtually untouched skin felt feather soft under his thumb. Hovering his hand over her, he felt her take hold of his forefinger and smiled. Puck could feel a tear crawl down his face as he took in his imprisoned finger. If anyone ever knew how soft he'd become, he'd deny it in a second. He had a reputation to keep up. Men weren't supposed to cry, weren't supposed to feel. Well, they felt. It usually meant harsh words and flying fists though. This, his willingness to cry was never going to leave this room. Not if he had anything to say about it.

"Listen Beth, if you _ever _let anyone know that you saw me cry, I'm gonna be forced to call you a liar. Daddy's not supposed to cry." _Daddy_ he thought. Never in a million years had Noah Puckerman ever pictured anyone ever calling him that. It had been years since he himself had said it. The last time it rolled off his tongue was the night he heard the door slam, fists banging the wooden door until he have himself splinters, as he begged his father to come back, begged him to see what a mistake he was making in walking away. He was nothing like his father. He wasn't going to walk away from responsibility. He wanted this. Puck wanted this more than he was wiling to say out loud. _You can't always get what you want_ he thought. As much as it pained him to think so, the lyrics rang true. As much as he wanted this, he knew it was only a matter of time before he watched it slip right through his fingers. For right now, he was here, his daughter safely in his arms. For the time being he'd just sit with her, hold her, protect her as best he could, until he was forced to give it all up.

"Hey you," he whispered. "You may be too young to remember this, but I'mmuna say it anyway. No matter what anybody says, know that I love. Know that your mom and I…" he said, the next few words catching in his throat, "…It's because we love you that we're giving you up. May not make sense to yet and that's okay. We can't do this yet, so we're giving you to someone who can. We're giving you to someone who's gonna give you everything you want, everything you need. I fought as hard as I could for you. I want to keep you, raise you. But your mom, she's…Well, she's stubborn. Once she gets an idea in her head, there isn't anybody who can change it. Believe me, I've tried. Would you mind if we just…If we just sat here? Lookin' at you beats grimy old walls any day," he smiled. Knowing she could give him no reply, he laid back, bringing a gentle rock to the chair they sat in, his eyes taking in every little bit of the perfection laid in his arms.

Pulling herself out of her daze, Quinn finally took in the stack of papers sitting on the nightstand. Picking them up, she just looked at them, not even bothering to read what they said. She knew what they said. With a few signatures, her life could go back to normal. It took her not too long to realize that no matter how many pieces of paper she painted with her name, nothing about her life was normal. Not anymore.

At sixteen, she'd given birth to a baby girl. A baby girl that, once everything was signed and dated, would no longer be hers. She had to do this. Quinn wasn't about to go back on her final decision. She'd decided, on her own, that walking away from everything would be best for everyone. Not that making the choice was all that easy. Puck's constant reassurance that they could be a family, that they could do this if they really tried, wasn't making her mind up any faster. Thankfully, he'd eventually just given up, grudgingly going along with her choices. She knew he hated her for it. She knew she sounded selfish. Really, this was what was best. Why then, was it so hard for her to see the page in front of her, pen trembling in her hand?

_I'm doing this for her. I'm giving her a life that I can't offer her. I don't even know the first thing about being a mother! I have high school to finish. I have college to go to. I have….I have..._What exactly did she have? Getting pregnant had gotten her kicked off the squad, diminished her standing to virtually nothing, and earned her more slushie facials than she could count. She never thought she'd actually find herself admitting it, but Beth gave her glee club. She blinked back tears as she heard herself say the name. Yes, her little girl had given her glee club.

Her quick tumble off the top of the popularity pyramid made her an outcast. An outcast who now had a circle of eleven other students she now considered friends. Glee was there to fall back on when everyone else had turned their backs on her. Unlike the rest of the school, they didn't care that she was pregnant, didn't care that she was once the lead bitch. As much as she knew she didn't deserve it, they saw her as a person.

Even Puck, the one who offered her everything he could without letting the truth slip. As much as he wanted to, he kept quiet. He kept quiet for her because he knew that's what she wanted. When she moved in with him, after her parents kicked her out for the disgrace that she now was to her family, he'd wake up bleary eyed at the world's strangest hours to satisfy her late night cravings. As much as she bitched and complained about how much everything hurt, he was there to stop it. He'd given her so much more than a roof over her head. He'd given her someone to lean on, depend on. He had no obligation to her. He didn't have to stay. Through every wave of raging hormones, every accusation of what a pain in the ass he was, he stayed. Something that, if she was being totally honest, was completely new to her.

Noah Puckerman had treated her with more respect than she deserved. If she went through with it, he'd hate her forever. After fighting so hard, she was just going to take it all away from him. _No_ she thought _you're doing this for her. You're signing these papers to offer her a better, brighter future. _Despite how much she tried to convince herself, why did this feel so wrong? Why did she feel sick to her stomach at the sight of this stack of documents?

_They threw you out_ she remembered. _They gave up on you_. All at once it came back. The night Finn revealed to everyone that she was with child. She couldn't clear the rage in her father's face, out of her head if she tried. The sheer disappointment was written all over. He'd given her a half hour. A half hour to pack up everything she could and leave. She remembered her mom just standing there, watching tears stream down her face, as she begged her dad to hold her, love her.

Through tears, her blood boiled now. Her mom just stood there and did _nothing. _She had just watched it all unfold, her face expressionless. And she'd known. Long before Quinn said anything Judy had known and still did nothing to shield her from her father's anger. _Puck's still here_ she thought. _He hasn't gone anywhere. He's been nothing but supportive._ With tears clouding her vision, she settled her pen on the stack of unsigned papers. Where once she was so certain, she wasn't so sure anymore. Carefully removing the covers, that really failed in keeping the constant chill from leaving her body, she trudged down to the one place she knew he'd be.

As she approached, she saw a nurse come up and greet her. In a whisper, so as not to disturb the sleeping newborns, the attending nurse asked her who she was. Giving her, her name, Quinn was led to her daughter's cot. A moment of panic flew through her when she saw that it was empty. The minute her eyes settled on a head of dark brown hair and the owner of hands that were much too familiar to her, she sighed, relief washing over her. Much too absorbed in watching his daughter, Quinn could tell he wasn't at all aware that she'd come in. Silently, she simply watched as he carried on their deep and meaningful one-sided conversation.

"You know, I may not be your dad for too much longer," he said, his voice laced with hurt. As soon as she heard it, Quinn felt guilt hit her like a freight train. _You're the one putting that catch in his voice _she thought. Your name's gonna change," he sighed, "But not your first one 'cause that was all me. I made sure that when Shelby takes you, you keep it. The only condition I made when your mom and I agreed to this. Well, I never really agreed, I just went along with it. What my baby mamma wants, she gets. It's the whole stubborn thing. You can't fight a Fabray. You can't fight a Puckerman either. We tend to get…a little violent." Quinn couldn't help smiling now. "We don't pull out the fists for no good reason though. We fight to protect the ones we care about. I'm only now just learning that," he sighed. "You've got a set of feisty genes in you kid, don't be afraid to use 'em. Remember though. You gotta use 'em for good and not bad. I did that and it landed me in some not so good places. That's a story for another time though."

Quinn could feel her eyes mist over once again when she realized that Puck wouldn't get to share those stories with her. Not that they were all that great to begin with but the main point was that he would never get another chance. This was it. This was why he'd spent his entire day here. Puck came in here to soak up every second he could with their little girl, before it all went away. That alone made Quinn Fabray love him even more. She stopped for a second, realizing that she didn't even know for sure if she loved him at all.

Having a baby changes you, molds you, bonds you in ways you don't' even realize. That much, she was learning. No one else sat with her while she cried without reason, held her until the tears stopped flowing. No one rebelled against his own belief just to feed a craving. No other man would just hold her until she felt safe enough to fall asleep. No one but her baby's father. No one in school could even pretend to understand what they'd been through together. No one could understand the sacrifices, the changes they made for the tiny person they'd created. No other high schooler could begin to comprehend the struggles they faced in their own lives. As much as they tried, they could never walk in their shoes. Not until they themselves were parents.

_Parents_. She could deny it all she wanted. She could pretend that the last nine months never even happened. But that would make her a liar. Not that she was all that bad at lying. She hid the truth for months without even trying. This though, this was different. This was their future. A future that, whether she was ready or not, involved the little girl, curled comfortably in her fathers arms. _I'm not like them_ she reminded herself. That alone gave her the strength to finally speak.

"It's not gonna be easy," she admitted. Puck's head shot up, his expression telling her he had no idea she'd come in. "I…I don't know if I can do this…" she whispered.

"Do what?" he asked. All she could do was take a heavy breath.

"Be a mom." Puck just looked at her, not daring himself to hope for what he thought she might be saying. As much as he tried to hide it, she could tell. The hope was clear in his expression.

"I thought we agreed…"

"We didn't agree to anything," she sighed. "I made up both of our minds and that's not fair to you. To her."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he whispered, his eyes shinning brighter than she'd seen them in months.

"I can't, Puck. I can't give her up. I'm not my mother," she whispered, tears coming down slowly. Silently he rose from the rocking chair, his rough hand catching her small bit of weakness. She offered him a small smile, not ready to pull away from his touch just yet. He made no motion to move it either, which made her smile internally.

"I'm so scared," she whispered. "Scared that I wont' be good enough, scared that I'll end up failing her, scared that…scared that…"

"I'm not my old man, Quinn. I'm not going to abandon my family," he reassured, knowing her fear long before she could pull it from her throat. She closed her eyes, grateful that he'd understood without her having to say it.

"This isn't how it's normally supposed to work," she sighed, finally brave enough to brush her daughter's cheek.

"Haven't you already figured it out, Quinn? Nothing about us is normal." She laughed knowing how true that statement was. He was the badasss. She was a Cheerio. Everything about them screamed impossible. Yet somehow, they'd do it. Somehow, despite everything stacked against them, they'd make it through.

**A/N: So, should I continue or just leave it as this? Reviews would be lovely. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for the great feedback. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Glee, these two would actually have a shot at being together, together. Seeing as Quick leaves something to be desired, I don't own anything.**

His hand still hadn't moved from the cup he had around her moistened cheek. The heat that radiated from his touch was something new to her. Until now they hadn't really touched. With the exception of the dead silence in her hospital room, Quinn never took the time to _feel _him. She smiled, remembering that this wasn't the Puck that many people saw. He was usually all about his fists sarcastic remarks. Seeing that look of deep sincerity in his eyes, she wanted to take back every nasty word she'd ever thrown at him. The gentle gaze told her everything she needed to know. He was a man of few words, leaving his glances to speak volumes for the voice he rarely used.

"I guess you're right," she whispered. "We really aren't those people anymore, are we?" Silently, his hand left her face, immediately filling her with a need to have it put back. A familiar smirk formed on his lips as she resisted the rolling of her eyes. Any minute now he'd ruin it all by saying something idiotic.

"Make no mistake, Fabray. Puckasaurus is still a grade A badass." All she did was chuckle, realizing that it wasn't his _most_ idiotic comeback. Maybe being a father would do him some good; teach him a thing or two about a decent vocabulary. She wasn't about to admit it, but, living with him taught her to appreciate his hotshot sense of humor. He had a way of making her feel lighter.

"Just don't go teaching her words like that," she warned. Puck just scoffed.

"I'm not an idiot," he said. "I may act it in school but I'm not _completely _stupid. I have to make decent grades to stay on the team. Means I gotta be able to learn something, know somethin' decent."

"I never said you were," she pointed out. "You just have a way of, I don't know, making a show of yourself."

"It's what I do, babe. Kinda goes along with being the top of the social pyramid." As soon as he said that, he wanted to take it back. Before the complete sentence left his mouth, Puck saw her face drop and sighed.

"Like I was," she whispered. "Maybe that's how this happened," she said. "Maybe that's the only reason the wine coolers ever happened."

"No," he said confidently. "This happened because you're smokin' hot as hell," he told her. Quinn could feel a deep blush crawling up her neck. She ducked in an attempt to hide her reaction, hoping he hadn't seen it. He had.

"Be honest, Puck. If I wasn't a Cheerio, would we even be here?" He stopped for a minute, contemplating how exactly to answer her. Football and cheer made a typical combination. If you were on the team, you dated a chick in a skirt. If he was going to be completely honest with himself, that was only part of the reason. He wasn't about to admit to the entire school that it didn't matter who they saw him with. His reputation depended on a lie, as did a vast majority of the school population. To them, that was the truth he chose to tell. He'd tell anyone who asked him, if it was the skirt that made the girl. Except maybe her. And as much as he hated to admit it, glee club. Even though it had taken him a while, Puck had learned the value of a person, not a standard.

"Yes," he admitted. "Maybe not here, in this nursery with Beth but we'd be here, together if we really wanted to try and make something of ourselves." She smiled, touched by his answer, not believing it entirely.

"Why did we pull out the alcohol?" she asked. Puck just rolled his eyes at her.

"Quinn, we're in high school. We're _supposed _to be reckless. We're supposed to do stuff that get us into trouble."

"And this is what came of it," she sighed.

"I lied," he finally said. She just looked at him with a questioning raise of her brow. She laughed, knowing that lying was all too familiar to him. "I didn't use a condom," he said carefully. She glared at him, hard, hand coming up to swipe him clear across the face. Ripping his hand off her, he held the heated part of his cheek.

"You _what_?" she fumed. In her anger, a much larger gap separated them now.

"Dammit, Fabray. You don't have to hit so damn hard!" he growled.

"Oh I'm more than ready to do it again!" she seethed. "You have two minutes. If a decent explanation for your lack of consciousness doesn't come out by then, I'm aiming for your nose, and maybe even your eye. How the hell could you be so stupid?" Tears clouded her vision now, Puck's thumb instinctively coming up to brush them away. He didn't make it far before she threw it off.

"Shh," came the nurse's warning, accompanied by a glare.

"Let's take this outside," he suggested. Gently, he placed Beth back on her caught, securing the blanket around her. Through her anger, Quinn heard him whisper to her, her heart doing a little flip when she heard him say a soft "I love you" to her. If she wasn't so angry with him, she would have smiled. As much as it touched her to see him with Beth, Quinn wasn't about to take off her less than pleased expression.

As they stepped outside, she turned on her heal, staring at him icily. Puck just sighed, still massaging his injured face.

"Two minutes, or your face is mine," she said. Quietly, he led her to the waiting room, taking her shoulders by habit.

"Don't touch me," she said going stiff under his hands. Immediately, he held his hands up in surrender. "Start talking." Puck let out a heavy sigh, being sure to choose his words carefully.

"I thought I had one, alright? When I told you I had us covered, I was sure I still had one in my pocket. I'm always careful, always prepared. Then I remembered Mom saying something about laundry. I wasn't gonna have her find out I carried condoms around all the time. She's stern as hell on the whole bacon thing, my sex life coming in at a very close second." She laughed despite her anger. Mrs. Puckerman came down harder on meat then sex? "As far as she knows, or knew, I was a virgin. I took them out, changing into a new pair."

"You forgot to switch it over," she said. Puck nodded, massaging his hands nervously. "So, you lied to me," she added. He looked up at her, not exactly sure how to state this next part. She was right. He had lied, or at least not been completely honest.

"Yeah…" he sighed. "It's such a habit that I didn't even realize what was goin' on until we were already…"

"What else have you lied to me about?" she asked. He stared at her again, taken aback by the question.

"Nothing. That right there is as far as the lying goes. And it's not even really lying. It's just…"

"Not the whole truth," she finished. "How long did you know?" Now he took her hands and realized how cold they were, surprised when she didn't pull away. As much as she wanted to, her hands were cold. She wouldn't admit this but she didn't exactly want to pull away, even if she was mad. Puck had a way of calming her, even, ironically, when he was the reason she was angry.

"We were already…"

"We were already done?" she yelled, ripping her hands from his grasp, silently thanking him for heating them for her.

"Quinn, I didn't plan it like that!" he defended. "I've done this before; I know what I'm doing!"

"What have you done before? You've had other babies?" she growled. "Lemme guess. Santana? You know, that really doesn't surprise me. That doesn't surprise me at all!" she shouted, tears betraying her solid will to keep it nothing but angry.

"What? Oh fuck no! I never got anyone else pregnant!"

"Oh so I guess I'm supposed to feel lucky, special that I was _chosen _to be your baby mama," she said rolling her eyes. "I knew it was too good to be true. I knew deep down that I was just another girl! Why the hell did I even think that by some miracle, I was any different?" She _was _different. Quinn Fabray wasn't just another girl, another chick in a skirt to him.

"You weren't," he said softly.

"Liar."

"I'm not lyin', Quinn. You weren't like them." Quinn was the only one who ever let him feel something beyond the physical, beyond attraction. Quinn somehow made him feel…made him feel whole,

"Oh right, I wasn't a whore," she laughed. "I'm sorry to disappoint you." With that she turned on her heal again, but not before a firm grab of her arm spun her back around. "Let go of me," she whispered.

"No," he shot back. Through the determination she heard it. She heard something beyond a demand to stay, beyond a "we're not done yet" but she wasn't about to let him see that.

"You've said all you needed to say, Puckerman. I was just another good lay for you." He could feel his heart sink when she said that. Furiously, she pulled out of his hold, continuing her trek back into the nursery.

"Why do you think I fought so hard? Why do you think I was in here all day today? You were different, Quinn. You _are _different. When we did it, I actually felt something for once. We were more than sex."

"We were drunk," she pointed out.

"A drunken man's words are a sober man's thoughts," he said.

"What?"

"I never say shit like that when I'm with Santana. It's usually just hardcore sex with the typical moans and groans that go along with a little bit of fun." She cringed, thoroughly disgusted now. The last thing she wanted to hear about was Santana.

"I really don't need to know that," she said. "You're a guy, Puck. It's typical for you to chase anything in a skirt. That's how we ended up doing what we did. I was the only one you hadn't played with yet."

"I didn't want it to happen like that, I swear. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you."

"Oh, but isn't that what you're good at? You treat us like paper. When we're all used up you just toss us out without a second thought. I shouldn't be surprised that you did the same to me. In fact, I'm not surprised at all."

"How many times do I have to say it, Fabray. You're not them. Usually once I'm done, I'm done."

"I guess Santana's your exception then," she said flatly.

"I don't love her, Quinn. She's hot as fuck but I don't love her."

"I don't even know why I agreed to do this with you. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, Puck."

"I'm not a dog," he smirked. I'm a fuckin' dinosaur." Despite herself, she offered him a small smile.

"Men like you don't love anyone, Noah. You're in it for the chase. Once we've been caught you just put us on a shelf, never to be thought of again." Puck stopped for a minute. Quinn had just called him a man. "I'm just sorry I let you catch me," she whispered. She turned her back toward him, making a third attempt to leave. This time, he did nothing. When she was five strides away, he finally spoke.

"So what do you expect me to do? Just walk away and pretend this never happened?"

"You've done it so many times before," she shot back.

"No. No I haven't," he said.

"What the hell are you talking about? You have a condom in every single pair of pants you wear! You've sexed up tons of girls before." No, he hadn't. For the first time, sex allowed him to feel something, Quinn made him feel something. The emotion confused him beyond words. Just being around her for the nine months leading up to today, made him feel…Feel what?

"You make me feel, Fabray."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You….you make me feel and shit. None of that mushy gushy shit, but you make me feel like we have some kind of connection. I don't know how yet but there's somethin' about just you. I mean, I'm gettin' turned on while you've got clothes on." Quinn growled, at her wits end with his games, not finding that the least bit funny.

"If that was meant to be funny, I'm not laughing," she said deadpanned.

"I wasn't tryin' to make a joke," he said. "Usually, it's all about the nude to give me the full affect. You're somethin' else. You give me feelings I've honestly never felt before, and you're not even naked!" She socked him in the arm with a glare.

"Ow! Okay, that came out wrong," he said.

"Ya think," she said with a roll of her eyes. She knew what he was getting at. In his own messed up way, he was admitting to her just how much he cared. It touched her somehow, warmed her a little.

"What I mean is that for once, I genuinely care about a girl. For once it's more than just a night of fun. I stayed Quinn. Not because I felt obligated or whatever. I knew I could have just walked away; let you make up your mind on your own. When I should have been angry with myself for forgetting, a part of me was kinda happy."

"You're happy you got me pregnant?" she asked with a raise of her brow. Puck watched her for a minute. He loved the way her forehead wrinkled when she did that, the curl her lips made when she was still trying to figure out where exactly he was going. Small as they were, he would never have noticed these little things on anyone else. Quinn gave him a reason to look for the little things.

"In a way, yeah. I used to watch you, you know. When you were still goin' out with, Finn. When you came out onto the field after a game. The way he held you. It…It kinda made me jealous." She fought the urge to laugh at this. Puck was jealous?

"Huh?"

"I got jealous, okay? Every time I saw you guys, I hated how I wasn't able to keep a girl. Like you said, I'm a chaser. When you told me you were pregnant, something in me flipped. When you told me to lie for you, I didn't know how I was gonna keep it going. He got what I wanted. My best friend had the relationship I couldn't have. More than that, he got the girl too."

"What exactly are you saying?"

"Do I really have to spell it out for you, Fabray? I think I like you, okay? In fact, I might go as far as saying that I think I might…"

"You think you might what?"

"You know what, never mind. You won't believe me anyway. No one ever does. Nobody takes me seriously."

"Finish what you were saying, Puck."

"I think I might even love you, okay?" Even though she knew it was coming, Quinn couldn't hide the shock.

"I…I…"

"Yeah, you don't believe me. Kinda knew you wouldn't. You said it yourself. I'm not the type of guy that loves a girl. I'm a guy. I don't know nothing about love." Taking his hand, she shook her head, forcing him up out of his seat. He could feel her dragging him with her and groaned.

"Where are we going?" Quinn said nothing as they made their way into the nursery. When he noticed that they were making their way to a familiar cot, he felt something pull inside of him. Taking in her small delicate face, he could feel himself smiling.

"Look at Beth," she instructed. He didn't need instructions. The tip of his forefinger gently brushed her cheek. "What do you feel?" Looking at his little girl, Puck couldn't help but be filled with every emotion he could think of, some of them he couldn't even name.

"I have this crazy urge to protect her. Keep her safe from anything that could possibly hurt her. I…I love her. I have no clue where all of this is even coming from. It's like it fills me up or something. I can almost choke on everything I feel right now."

"What do you feel when you look at me?"

"Besides the fact that I think you're hot?" he smirked. She just rolled her eyes, shoving him gently. "I…I don't know. It's gonna sound cheesy but, when I look at you I feel like I've finally found something. Like I've finally found that one thing I really want, the one thing I need," he whispered. She saw him step closer to her, his free hand taking its previous place on her face. The heat of his breath was only inches away now, sending a chill down her spine as it blew past. Sensing this, Puck looked up at her, concern etched in his face. Quinn smiled as he brought her closer still. Their foreheads were touching now, their noses just barely brushing. Something didn't fight him off. Instead, she allowed their lips to brush, letting him kiss her lightly. Puck could feel himself being lifted off the ground now, a feeling of flight, of freedom taking over. Threading his fingers through her hair he pushed it back to reveal her covered ear.

"I think I love you, Quinn Fabray," he whispered, pecking her earlobe before pulling away. She could feel her breath catch at the tenderness of his lips held against her skin. As small a gesture as it was, it set off a slew of emotions. In those few seconds she could feel her heart jump from her chest, a blush coming to her cheeks. Having him this close to her, she resisted the urge to touch him, feel him. Seeing where her line of sight was, he smirked. "See somethin' you like?" he asked slyly. She gulped, resisting the urge to nod.

In her father's arms, Beth finally stirred. Turning his attention to her, Puck spoke softly now. Quinn couldn't make out exactly what he said, seeing as she was still trying to recover from his confession. Shaking her head a little to clear her mind, she was finally able to catch the end of it.

"Guess what? Turns out we're takin' you home," he smiled. "You know, when you're finally old enough, I'munna teach you to play ever sport there is. You're gonna be the first girl to play football. 'Cause you know, girls can play football too. If we don't at least let 'em try, that's called being sexist and that's wrong," he said seriously. Quinn let herself laugh out loud, coming around to sock him in the shoulder.

"What, it's true!" he said defensively. "Just 'cause it's a guy's sport doesn't mean she can't at least try it. Who knows, she might even like it! First girl in McKinley High history to play.

"She has no idea what 'sexist' means, dummy," he pointed out.

"So? She will eventually."

"I love how you have full on conversations with her, like she's supposed to understand you," she laughed.

"She does!" he said defensively. "Or at least, she will. She's a Fabray. Aren't you girls supposed to be like, geniuses or something?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm a genius," she blushed.

"Quinn, you skipped the first grade," he said.

"I had a tutor in kindergarten. My parents insisted that I learn the ABC's which is pretty much the only thing I needed to know."

"You're in all AP classes, except for Schuester and glee club," he added. She found herself blushing a deeper shade of red. Living with him, they tended to talk a lot about personal things. Somehow they got to talking about academics. It honestly came as a surprise to her that he remembered her mentioning that. "You've got it all. The brains, the beauty, the hard headed independence. God help me, she's going to inherit all of that," he mumbled. All she could do was laugh again.

There was a freedom about Puck that she honestly liked, even loved. He didn't give two cents about what anyone thought of him. As much as he boasted about reputation, deep down, she could tell he could care less what the world thought of him. He walked around knowing exactly who he was, knowing that no one was ever going to change him. Sure, he kept most of it under wraps but she could feel him peeling back. Hidden somewhere deep, was a tenderness about him, a soft side he swore up and down he'd never let anyone see. The clearest example of this was in the way he held Beth, the way he held _her_. As much as Quinn didn't want to admit it, something was pulling her further down. Something inside her ignited when it was just him. Maybe…just maybe…

"I think….I think I might love you too," she whispered. His head shot up. He found himself having to strain to hear her. "It might be Beth or the sex or…or the whole connection speech you gave me. I don't know. As much as it scares me, I'm starting to think you might not be alone," she said carefully. He could tell she wasn't exactly sure of it yet, but he'd take what he could get for now.

"You wanna hold her?" he asked, already offering her the rocking chair. She nodded as she felt her daughter be placed in her arms.

"I'm not going to drop her, am I?" she asked worriedly. He smirked while shaking his head.

"Just be sure to support her head," he instructed.

"Like this?" she asked, not quite sure she was getting it right. He saw that the crook of her arm held her head up perfectly and smiled.

"Yup. Just hold her like a football," he said. Quinn just rolled her eyes.

"You're daughter's not a ball, Puck."

"It works just the same," he pointed out. She just shook her head, finally allowing herself to look down at the little girl she held. Her finger carefully traced her face, Beth moving slightly at her touch. Puck was right. This little girl looked so much like her.

"You sure she's yours?" she smirked.

"I dunno. Did you ever play with anybody else?" he asked huskily. She felt a shiver come down her spine and found the clarity to shake her head. "Look at this," he said, carefully removing her cap. She chuckled when she saw that her hair stuck up haphazardly, the same shade as his. "It's not quite a hawk but it's close enough."

"You think we can do this?" she asked.

"If we want it to work, I _know_ we can," he smiled squeezing her shoulder. Their eyes met and for a second she saw something in his that she couldn't quite place. "We can do this, Quinn. We can and we will."

"It's not gonna be easy, Puck," she sighed. "We're gonna have to give up a lot, sleep being number one. You and I both know that reputation is pretty much gone."

"Why do we care what other people think? All that really matters is that we're doing what's right for us. Sure, it's not quite how I expected to finish up high school, but like I said, nothing about us is ever normal."

"It's just gonna be you and me. I don't know if I can carry so much weight on my shoulders," she admitted.

"Wrong. We've got glee," he reminded her. "They may not fully get it yet, but they haven't exactly kicked us out."

"You can't get kicked out of glee club."

"You can get the boot socially. They accept us, Quinn. Beth or no Beth, those kids are there for us. Mr. Schue is there for us. If we've got that, then we can do anything."

"Anything?"

"Do we want this bad enough?" She nodded. "There's your answer," he said kissing her forehead quietly.

**A/N: Here we are with chapter two! Let me know how this one went, please :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here we are with chapter 3!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Glee :(**

He felt her stiffen for several seconds as his hands course through her hair mindlessly. Puck backed away a little to get a better look at her face. As he reads her expression, he can't help feeling a little flustered. As simple as she looked right then, her face bare of the needless pounds of makeup she put on for school every day, he can't stop himself from staring. There's nothing extreme about her features. They're simple, along with everything else about her. For the first time, he's captivated. For the first time, Puck finds himself marveling at simple perfection.

Puck shakes his head discreetly, hoping that somehow she didn't see him looking at her. For some reason, he now finds the floor pattern oddly fascinating. She offers him a small smile. An indication that she's noticed him watching her. For a minute, he fights the urge to kick himself, feeling like an idiot for just standing there. Soon after, he puts an end to the idea, realizing that it doesn't really matter now. Quinn has stared at him a number of times. That was the thing about the two of them. As much as they tried to avoid it, there was no stopping the wandering eyes. Even though they both understood the other was taken by someone else, something always pulled them back.

"Puck?" she whispered, a smile in her tone. He blinked several times. Finally brave enough to look at her, fighting the blush as it made its way to his cheeks, he met her gaze. He cleared his throat, feet shuffling a little. "You okay? You've had a glazed over look in your eyes for the last three minutes. And you're staring at me. Do I have something n my face?" Completely free of his trance, he shook his head. "You sure you're okay? You checked out there for a while," she laughed.

"You're perfect," he says to himself. Quinn raised a brow in curiosity. Now Puck really wanted to kick himself. It took him a minute to realize that he'd said that out loud. Since he's already made his confession, he watches her face for yet another reaction. This time, he's careful not to get lost. It's harder than he realizes. _Maybe, if I just don't look at her _he thinks. Immediately, he finds himself turning his back toward her and breaths a heavy sigh. Watching the lined up cots, filed with sleeping newborns, doesn't last. Almost as soon as he's turned himself around, Puck feels Quinn poke his lower back playfully. He gives a small jump in surprise, forced to turn and glare at her.

"I'm not," she says, in response to his earlier compliment. "Thank you though, for saying as much. I really don't feel attractive at all, right now." He rolled his eyes at her.

"You just gave birth, Quinn." He watches her face fall as she's once again reminded of where they are and why. As soon as he says that and takes in the look on her face, he races for some kind of recovery. He finds none. Instead, he settled his hand on her shoulder. "Hey," he whispers, taking her chin in his free hand, so she's forced to look at him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I'm the one who got us here."

"Did you love me that night?" she asked. Puck just looked at her, fighting the sigh he finds is about ready to leave his mouth.

"I thought we already went over this," he said. She nods, but waits for his answer. "The truth?" She gives him a second nod. "The truth is that I had no idea what I was feeling that night. I don't even know exactly what I'm feeling right now. But I felt something. I felt it long after the sex. I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach, every time I saw you with Finn."

"You were jealous," she clarified, the comment coming out as more of a statement.

"Is that what that is?" She answered with another nod, flattered by his admission. There were things about Puck that she was slowly learning. Little facts, that she found herself enjoying more and more. She'd come to the realization that she enjoyed them as much because they came from an entirely new side of Puck. "Remember that day in Glee, when Schue made us sing songs that really meant something to us?"

"The day you screwed up all my Gaga make up?" she smiled.

"Yeah. I personally don't get why she puts so much of that shit on her face. I mean, some of it's hot but other times it's just a little much, you know?"

"You were saying?" she prompted.

"Anyway," he continued. "I wanted to sway you. I was hoping that if you saw how committed I was, how sincere and stuff, that you'd change your mind. It was stupid, I know. You had your mind made up and there was no changing it."

"You're wrong," she whispered. "Hearing you sing that day…I was a little thrown, to be honest. I never thought that Noah Puckerman could be so…"

"Soft?" he supplied.

"Yeah. I was so sure I knew what I wanted. You made me think it over again. I ended up thinking it over for a long time."

"How come this is the first time I hear that?" he asked. Quinn just shook her head, not quite sure how to continue.

"I…I didn't want you to get your hopes up, in case I changed my mind again," she admitted. "You make me think, Puck. You make me second guess myself. That's a change for me. Usually, I'm all about solid answers. I'm always sure that what I want is what I want and that's it. I've kind of been conditioned to do that. My parents were all about determination and never backing down. Once I decided something, I had to stick to it." He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"They made decisions _for _you."

"Not true," she defended. "They only wanted what was best for me."

"Oh so I guess giving you a half hour before they kicked you to the curb, was 'best for you'?" She sent him an icy glare in response, hand coming up in preparation to smack him. Realizing what he'd just said, his hand shot up to stop her, eyeing her apologetically. "I shouldn't have said that," he mumbled. "What I mean is that, you're always in your parents' shadow or something. I could tell that, after a while, you didn't like being a Cheerio anymore."

"Coach Sylvester's a bitch. After being yelled at for two to three hours a day, I don't exactly feel too happy."

"That's just it, Quinn. You're not happy waving around a couple of pompoms. When somebody really enjoys what they're doing, it doesn't matter how often they get yelled at. They take it because they know that it will help them do better. You didn't want it. You only did it because your mom told you it was a good idea."

"I…I wanted them to be proud of me," she admitted. "After my sister left, it was almost like they felt they were _stuck _with me. I guess I wanted to prove to them that I could do something to make them see that I wasn't some kind of disappointment. Then, we happened, and any shade of 'I'm proud of you' disappeared. The fact that my mother just stood there while he yelled at me…The fact that he wouldn't even _touch _me said all that needed to be said. They didn't want me anymore. I let them down…"

"No," he said firmly. "They let _you _down. They abandoned you when you needed them the most. A real parent forgives their kid. No matter how badly they screw up." Beth let out a small cry, stopping any continuation of the current conversation. Panic took over, her fear that she's done anything wrong, indicated by her body going completely stiff. The attending nurse came over with a gentle smile on her face. Quinn quickly handed her over; clueless as to how she's supposed to stop the crying.

"Looks like somebody's due for a bottle," she says. Immediately, Quinn can feel herself relax. Puck's hand rubbing small circles in her shoulder melts the tension as she takes a deep breath. The nurse, whose name she finally learned is Vanessa, as indicated by her name tag, took a small bottle to her daughter's lips and nodded in Puck's direction. "Noah, would you like to…?" Over the course of the day, he'd done this several times already. Feeding time left his mind at ease. Something he could tell Quinn needed.

"Nah, I've done it a few times already. Maybe Quinn should try," he suggests. He saw her eyes shift awkwardly but offered her a nod of confidence. Silently, she takes the small bundle that is her daughter, back from the woman. She handles Beth awkwardly for a minute as she tries to remember how exactly she's supposed to hold her. _Like a football _she recalls, mentally rolling her eyes when she remembers who had said it.

"There you go," Vanessa smiles. "Now, just take the bottle and hold it to her mouth. Beth will take it from there." Quinn does as she's instructed and watches her small mouth take hold of the offering. Only seconds in, she heared her breathing speed up. "Nice and slow," she hears Vanessa say. Her hand froze momentarily as she adjusted the angle. Beth takes to it, staring at her mother intently. Quinn can't help the smile that crosses her face as she returns her gaze. "Just let her eat until she's full."

"Thank you," she said politely.

"It's going to feel awkward at first. Like everything else, practice will make things run a little smoother." Quinn misses the last part of the conversation becoming once again absorbed. After a few minutes the sucking stopped, Beth's eyes closing slowly. Setting the unfinished bottle next to her, she brushes her hand over her daughter's closing eyes.

"You done?" she whispers. The only indication she gets is a subconscious grasp of her finger. She gives a small gasp as the smile widens on her face.

"Pretty cool, huh?" she heard Puck say. Noticing for the first time since ten minutes earlier, that he's in the room with her, her eyes meet his. She can only nod, not sure how to even explain the emotions running through her. The small act of letting Beth take her finger has set off a number of emotions all at once. That reaction alone allows her to fully understand why Puck was so adamant. He'd spent the entire day, experiencing what she'd just begun to feel.

"Yeah…" she says softly. Quinn's fingers weaved through Beth's small head of hair, her hand grazing her cheek. Puck came in a little closer to her, lightly scratching her belly affectionately. Once again, she opens her eyes, taking in her father's face as she continues to fight sleep.

"Close your eyes, baby girl," he whispered, dropping a light kiss on her temple. Seeing this tender side to such a highly acclaimed badass, Quinn wanted to scream. How could she have ever considered denying any of this? How could she have thought to strip this away from him? Quinn Fabray was selfish. She knew as much by her constant one track mind. When she wanted something badly enough, her opinion shined brighter than any other.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. Puck looked up at her, a callused hand meeting the tears before they could make it very far down her face. "How could I have been so stupid? So selfish?" she asked with a slight tremble to her lip.

"You weren't being selfish," he promised her. "If anything, it was me who was being selfish. Logic was put on the back burner when I realized that I was actually going to be a father. The 'I'm not a deadbeat' argument clouded common sense. We're teenagers, Quinn. We know nothing about raising a baby. No new parents have any idea what they're doing. We learn as we go," he said softly.

"What if we screw up?" she whispered. "Maybe...Maybe giving her to _real _parents will be better for her," she decided, doubting herself for the hundredth time.

"Quinn, we're in a hospital nursery and you're sitting there with a baby who looks just like you, right there in your arms. Face it, Fabray. We're parents. Parents who are gonna screw up every once and a while. Parents who love her enough to try their hardest to make sure she grows up happy and cared for."

"I just…I don't know. I have this monster fear that I'm gonna end up being like my mom and she's going to end up hating me just as much as I hate my mother."

"You're nothing like your mother, Quinn. We'll be fine," he smiled.

"Promise?" she whispered.

"I can't promise it won't be a little bumpy but I can tell you that we'll make it out okay." Puck found himself once again playing with a lock of her hair. Feeling a light tug she remembered that she hadn't yet showered properly. She rose to her feet, not really thinking as her arm wrapped around his torso. For a minute, Puck wasn't quite sure how to react. After a minute his arms encircled both of them and she was finally able to take in his aftershave. She smiled, letting her hand wander up his spine a little.

"I need a shower," she said. Hearing this, his nose wrinkled mockingly.

"I'd say so," he joked. Quinn looked up at him, giving him a light shove. Stepping around him,, she settles a sleeping Beth in her cot, gently tightening the blanket around her. Coming up behind her he brushes his fingers through the little hair she has on her head.

"Would you like the night to yourselves?" Vanessa asked. "Or would you like her in the room with you?"

"Isn't she supposed to stay here," Puck asked. Vanessa laughed with a shake of her head. "You have the option to do that but after a day or so, you're welcome to keep her in your room." He looks at Quinn for the answer, knowing that right now, as she often did, she'd make the call.

"I need sleep," she sighed. He nodded, subconsciously bringing her to hm. "We'll come in tomorrow morning," she said.

"That's why we're here," she smiled. "It's a good idea for parents to get all the rest they need because once they're home by themselves, the idea of sleep is pretty much nonexistent," she laughed.

"We'll be back in the morning," she whispers to a sleeping Beth as she takes one brush of her cheek. Making their way out to the hall, Puck realizes he's got a stronger hold on her. He's a little surprised she doesn't fight him off, but smiles nonetheless. As soon as they reach the doorway, he feels her blanch. Looking over at her, he can finally see what's set her off. Almost instantly, he feels his fist contracting.

"Quinnie," he hears the all too familiar voice of her mother call out to her.

"What do you want?" Quinn asked flatly. As she does so, she gives Puck a light elbow in the side, telling him to stop. He does. But not before glaring at Mrs. Fabray.

"I want you to home, Quinnie—"

"Stop," she demands. "You have no place to use that name with me anymore." She can see her mother's pained expression and feels a little bit of satisfaction.

"Quinn," she corrects, "I want you to come home. I've missed you," she whispers.

"You haven't missed me," she shot back. "You wanted me gone just as much as he did."

"That's not true, Quinn I—"

"You just stood there while he kicked me out of my own house!" she shouted.

"Now, you know there's no arguing with your father—" As much as he knows he shouldn't, Puck can't help but offer his two cents. By the end of this, it might come out to about two dollars.

"He's no father, Mrs. Fabray." Quinn elbows him much harder this time but he ignores her. "What kind of father kicks his daughter out of her own home? What kind of father calls her a disgrace when she's made a mistake?"

"I'm sorry but, who are you?" she asked, cutting his speech short.

"The name's Puck," he offers gruffly.

"And how do you know my daughter?" He was tempted to tell her that he was the guy who was lucky enough to take her daughter's innocence and introduce her to a six pack of alcohol, but he stopped himself.

"He's Beth's father," Quinn supplied. Judy's eyes widen when she realizes that the child has a name.

"You…you named her?" she asked carefully.

"Yes Mom," she sighed with a roll of her eyes. "That's what most parents do when they have a baby." Judy's lips are pursed, a familiar look of disappointment crossing her face.

"I'm so disappointed in you Quinnie," she sighed. "I would have at least thought that after you've made such a mess of yourself, you'd at least be smart enough to give her away."

"Why the hell would I give away my daughter?" she asked angrily.

"Now watch your tongue," she warned.

"I don't have to watch anything! You lost any kind of authority you had over me, the minute you closed the door!"

"You have a future, Quinn Fabray! A future I would hate to see go up in smoke because you've offered the world a child."

"A future in what, cheer?" she scoffed.

"Well, yes. Cheer is such a wonderful opportunity for you. It opens so many doors." Quinn cold tell, without looking, that Puck was rolling his eyes. "You're going to get into so many wonderful schools. Schools that will give you a fantastic career long before you even consider having children."

"Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, Mom but I threw out the 'How to Live the Trophy Wife Life' guide. I have a baby. A baby that I intend on keeping."

"It's not fair that you've done this to yourself," she sighed. "Why couldn't you have been like normal kids your age?"

"Oh believe me, she is," Puck mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Judy asked angrily.

"Mrs. Fabray, if you haven't noticed, most kids these days are rebelling with drugs and alcohol, and having sex in high school. Your idea of a normal teenager's a little bit different than ours."

"Are you doing this to get back at me?" she asked with a sigh. "Is this some kind of payback for the way we treated you, which may I remind you, wasn't entirely unfair."

"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me right now," Puck mumbled. "Judy. May I call you Judy? The way you treated Quinn is in no way fair. You sent her packing when she needed you the most. What kind of parents, do that to their kid?"

"She's not a child anymore, Puck. If she's old enough to be making adult decisions then it's only right that she be treated as such."

"Oh, for the love of God," Quinn mumbled. "I _needed _you! I needed you and you just let him shut the door in my face! What's even more disgusting is the fact that you knew long before Finn even said anything! You knew and you never even bothered to _try _and help me!" She could see the world around her blurring as tears clouded her vision. Quinn could feel Puck tightening his hold on her and felt herself relax a little. "So, do me a favor and quit acting like you give a shit about me! You're right. I am an adult now. I'm old enough to make decisions for myself. Not just myself but for my daughter as well. I've decided that I'm going to be the one to raise her and there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop me!"

"You don't know the first thing about being a mother!" Judy shot back.

"Oh and I'm sure you were a fuckin' know-it-all when you had your first baby, huh?"

"I did not. The difference between you and I is that I was mature enough to make such a change in my life. You're still in high school! How are you going to be able to afford continuing your education and taking care of a baby?"

"We'll make do," she said.

"Well, I sure hope so, because I'm not letting you drop out to dote over your tragic mistake," she seethed. Before she could stop herself, she felt the heat of her mother's cheek against her palm, satisfied when she saw the print of her hand.

"Beth is not and will _never _be a mistake! If anything, she's taught me a hell of a lot more than you ever did."

"How is that even possible? She wasn't even born until earlier today, which I only found out from the hospital staff when they called me to tell me that this is where you were."

"If you were even around long enough, you would have heard me tell you that Sylvester kicked me off the team when she found out I was pregnant. Strangely enough, I'm actually grateful. I wasn't the one who liked cheering, Mom. You did. I figured that, doing something that you loved would somehow make you proud of me or something. What a mistake that was. I let myself be your legacy so you could continue your dream through me. Well, you know what? If you're not even enough of a mother to support me, I'm done living for you. I'm gonna start living a life for me. A life that will include my daughter!"

"And where do you intoned to live while you do all of this?" she scoffed.

"Oh so _now _you care that there's a roof over my head. I'll be living where I've been living for the last few months."

"She'll be living with me," Puck clarified.

"Oh, I can't believe this," Judy sighed. "Why in the world would you be living with your boyfriend? Isn't it something similar to that, which got you into this in the first place?" Both Quinn and Puck smiled a little at hearing her label them. They hadn't even thought of it that way yet, though it took them a second to realize that maybe now, that's kind of what they were.

"Puck has been an amazing support to me, Mom. Not only that but he's my daughter's father. That's really all the sense you need."

"May I ask how your mother feels about this?" she asked, directing her question at Puck.

"She wasn't too happy about the fact that I was having a baby—"

"I honestly don't see what kind of mother would."

"She won't let Quinn have her bacon, seeing as we're Jewish, but other than that, the living arrangements are working out just fine."

"I cannot believe that you're mother's actually supporting this decision."

"She's says that so long as I find a way to bring in sufficient income, and we can handle the majority of the responsibility ourselves, then she'd be fine with having Quinn and Beth stay with us."

"And what exactly is providing this 'sufficient income'?"

"Mom, this isn't a game of 20 questions," Quinn sighed. "The fact is that we're going to do this. Don't go pretending to care at the last minute."

"I'd really like you to come home, Qunnie," she sighed.

"I _am _going home," she said. She could see Judy's face building a small smile of satisfaction. "I'm going home to the Puckermans," she clarified. Her mother scowled, stomping her heeled toe, angrily. "Oh look who's the child now,' she laughed. "Until you can prove to me that you can grow up a little, prove to me that you give a damn, we won't be communicating. Don't try calling me, coming to see me, nothing. You gave yourself that privilege when you let me walk away."

"You have no idea how big an error in judgment you're making," she said

"Oh I don't see it as an error," Quinn smiled. "I personally see it as a way of proving to the world that I am _nothing _like you."

"How do you figure that?" she smirked.

"Use a little common sense, Mom. Why am I living with Puck?"

"Your father sent you away," she said.

"Oh, don't go sugarcoating it! He kicked me out. Plain and simple. You _both _kicked me out without a second thought! You turned your backs on me. Something that I swear I will never be doing to my own daughter. It doesn't matter what she ends up doing, how badly she messes up. I'm going to be there to offer her the love and support that I never got."

"We loved and supported you plenty!" Judy defended.

"Not when it counted," she pointed out.

"You have no idea what you're doing," she sighed.

"Newsflash, Mom. New parents haven't got a clue. But they learn."

"When your father hears about this…."

"Just tell him the truth. I'm outta your hair. Tell him he can stop seeing me as such a disappointment in your lives. Tell him he lost me, just like he wished he had by the time I was in middle school!" Quinn was shaking with anger now, tears rolling down her reddened face. Puck came up behind her, offering her support as he felt her go slack in his arms. Taking a second to glare at Quinn's mother, he lifted her onto the bed, bringing the thin white sheet around her. Folding a piece of hair behind her ear, he pulled away, directing his attention to Judy.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to leave," he said seriously. She sighed, standing for a second at her daughter's bedside.

"I love you, Quinnie," she whispered, brushing her discolored cheek gently. _You sure got a funny way of showin' it _he thought.

"I'll walk you out," Puck offered. She nodded as he gently directed her toward the exit. "Thanks for droppin' by," he said. "It was a real pleasure." As he said the second part, he resisted (with a ton of will power) to roll his eyes. When he was finally able to close the door behind her, Puck heard Quinn stir behind him. In three strides he was at her side, massaging her clammy hand.

"Puck," she mumbled, opening her eyes again.

"Yeah?"

"I've changed my mind." Puck felt himself go into a round of panic before she slowly gripped his hand and smiled. "Not about that," she confirms. He felt himself let out a breath. "Can you ask them to bring Beth in here?"

"Sure," he smiles, kissing her temple.

"Thank you," she whispers as he walks out to the nursery.

"You're welcome," is the last thing she hears before Quinn allows much needed sleep to take her.

**A/N: Let me know how this went, please! Reviews are much appreciated. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: If I owned Glee, our ship would still be sailing on sees of happiness. Seeing as they're not at the moment, I don't. –sigh—**

As he closes the door behind him, Puck can still feel himself coming down from the unexpected episode that was Judy Fabray. He knew it wasn't his place, so he stayed silent. He kept quiet for her. That seemed to be his norm now. He knows he can do damage of his own. He's Noah Puckerman. He's the guy who seems to be capable of damage everywhere he goes. He's been taught it's not right to hit a woman. Any guy with a brain knows that. So, as hard a feat as it was, like a good boy, he kept his hands to himself.

Clearing his head of the frustration, he's finally able to take in the florescent lighting of the hall. He takes a minute to note that, unlike the buzz of the afternoon, the night shift is quieter, more peaceful. Here, he finally allows reality to set in. They're actually going to do this. They're actually going to keep her. As elated as he is to know this, Puck can't help but be a little terrified. _You wanted this_ he remembers. As he steps into the nursery, he makes a beeline to the familiar cot. As soon as he takes in her face, he smiles, finally able to push down the momentary fear.

Watching her sleep, his finger trails her cheek. As he does so, he can see her twitch. A movement barely noticeable if not watched closely. It's almost as if she knows. Even though she doesn't wake, Beth turns in his direction, releasing a short breath. A set of approaching footsteps interrupts and he's forced to shift his attention. Puck startles for a minute, noticing that the attending nurse isn't the one from this afternoon. Taking her place is a blond haired woman with visibly high cheek bones. Old habits die hard, he realizes, for he can't help letting his eyes wander her very decent chest. After a minute or two, his gaze returns to her face. The flirtatious smile she has sitting there is hard to miss.

"Well hello there," she purrs. "What can I do for you?" she asks as her arm accidently brushes his. He knows by experience that the two seconds of contact isn't really an accident. Raising a brow, a familiar smirk crosses his face. A small cry stops anything that might be said in reply. Almost instantly, he sees Quinn's face. His inner sex shark tendencies, though hard to contain, have been suppressed.

"I came to see if she could be brought into her mom's room," he says, now refocusing his attention on Beth. "She's been askin' for her." Puck finds himself playing with the thread of her small cap. He lets it glide between his fingers, keeping an eye on his daughter. The distraction allows the urge to strike up a conversation, to become impossible.

"Sure thing," she smiles widely, exposing a set of perfectly white teeth that he can see out of the corner of his eye.

"Thanks," he mumbles, now keeping a far distance from her. Being sure to keep that space wide enough, he quietly steps around her, and watches his daughter as she's wheeled of the room and into the hall. Keeping with the far distance rule, he waits a few steps before following. When they've finally made it out to the hall, she starts talking again. He can't really make out exactly what she's saying but his eyes are traveling down her body again. Stopping at her boobs, he blinks three times before averting his gaze. Puck sees that she's just smiling, that look he often sees in Santana, reflecting in her too. That look he knows all too well. The look that makes him the guy he is.

"Here we are, Mr. Puckerman." Hes a bit startled, not sure where she figured out his last name. He quickly takes in the anklet about the size of his pinky, addressing his daughter's name. The last is obviously his own. Clearing his throat he followers as she leads them into the room. "Oh…" she whispers. "She's asleep. I think I'll let you take it from here," she smiles. Puck does the same, avoiding eye contact. As she walks out, he feels her graze his chest, and for a minute, goes rigid. Keeping that smile, she slips something into his jean pocket. He's done this before; he knows what's written there. He can't help feeling as though he's on the other side. Usually, he's the one to do that to potential candidates. He's proud to admit that he can be a lot sneakier than she just was.

"Puck…" Quinn mumbles from the other end of the room. As soon as he hears her call out to him, all thoughts of the nurse take a back burner. Not bothering to excuse himself, Puck takes his place at her bedside. Watching her adjust to the lighting, he takes a minute to reanalyze her soft features. Taking a last quick glance between them, the excitement is gone. After a more thorough examination, he knows she's not his usual.

Her chest is too exposed, her legs too long. The woman's teeth and hair have got to be artificially perfect. The constant smile plastered on her face makes him cringe. He can't help thinking that the woman's never felt anything other than happy for her entire life. Everything about this girl is…too perfect. Puck is far from that. He's a well-known screw up. He needs someone just as tainted as he is.

Without even realizing he's doing so, he's letting his fingers crawl up her arm. As soon as he does this, he notices how cold to the touch her skin is. He starts an up and down motion with his hand, hoping the friction is enough to help keep her warm. Quinn smiles softly in thanks and rubs sleep from her eyes with her free hand.

"Is she here?" she mumbles. Puck smiles, stopping the exercise long enough to wheel Beth closer to her mother. With momentary struggle, (dealt with silently so he isn't alerted to anything) she puts herself into sitting position, arms already prepared to accept the weight of a little girl. As he brings her over, Quinn can't help noticing the way Beth seems to pretty much fit in the palm of his hand. Her baby's the size of a doll in her father's over-sized palm. Tears settle themselves at the corners of her eyes when she sees how carefully he's handling her. Almost as if he's afraid that with one wrong move he could break her. Puck's hand travels the length of her body, finally stopping a short distance from her impossibly small feet. Quinn smiles as she watches Beth press her tiny foot against his hand.

A smile crosses his own face as he fights the pressure building at the back of his throat. It still hasn't completely sunk in yet. The reality that this little person is his, still feels so surreal. Beth is a mash up of the two of them. Little pieces of both he and Quinn are in this little human being.

"She's so freakin' tiny," he whispers. She nods, watching him brush his eye in secret. She's seen him do it and he knows it. "Somethin' in my eye," he mumbles.

"Uh huh," she laughs. "I'm sure."

"I've got pollen allergies or something," he grumbles.

"Puck, we're in a hospital that's been overly sterilized. Nothing from outside ever makes it in here. You can stop making excuses now," she smiles. He looks over at her, rolling his eyes, somewhat annoyed that she doesn't believe him. She watches him go over every one of her fragile body parts, gruff hands treating them like china. He stops at every curve, like he's memorizing every piece. Again, he stops at her feet, waiting patiently for the two seconds of contact. "I need a shower," she sighs. Puck's eyes hold a few seconds of the familiar twinkle, and she rolls her own

"Need any help?" he smirks. She laughs, shaking her head. She laughs even harder when he looks disappointed.

"If you were going to 'help' me—" she said. Puck just rolled his eyes at her use of air quotes, "—who would be out here to watch her?" He sighs, sending her off with a brush of his hand, in the direction of the private bathroom. "Next time," she whispers, sympathetically patting his forearm. The heat of her breath sends a shiver down his spine, a smirk and raise of his brow telling her he's more than willing to take her up on it.

"You gonna make it okay?" he asks as he watches her shuffle to the bathroom.

"I had a baby, Puck. My legs are still working," she pointed out, secretly touched by his unnecessary concern.

"Just checkin'," he grumbles.

"If you hear a weird crash or scream, that's when you come help me. Otherwise, I'm sure I still remember how to bathe myself." She turns to see a three second grimace cross his face before it's wiped away, replaced with his iconic smirk.

"Don't say I didn't offer my services." Quinn simply laughs, unwinding her matted hair, disgusted that it seems to stick together and out.

"I feel disgusting," she sighs, brushing her arms.

"Shut up, you're fine. Now, go shower before I decide to help you anyway," he says impatiently. When he finally hears the door close securely, he throws his head back, pulling in a deep breath. "I really don't get her sometimes. I don't know. Maybe I just don't understand woman, period. They're never completely satisfied with themselves. They're frustrating. _She's _frustrating. It must be in your DNA to always be hatin' yourselves. Girls are beatin' down on themselves when they really have no reason to. You gotta be more like us guys. Accept it, embrace it, and use it to your advantage. I know I'm a screw up, but I learned to accept that it's just who I am.

I honestly don't know why you're mom's willin' to give me a shot. I know I don't deserve it. Especially after the way I treated her. She has tough, for some weird reason. It might be 'cause of you, for the most part. But I'm taking whatever I can get at this point. I may have fucked things up—your mom would kill me if she heard me say that—a hell of a lot but this is the one thing I'm gonna be sure I do right. She deserves better than that. Better than me," he whispered.

"You gotta learn to work with watcha got. Good or bad, it's you. And then you find that one person who takes a chance at making you better than what you are. That one person who takes you for every mess you've ever made. That one person who makes you rethink everything you've ever done. That someone who's willing to take you for the mess that you are, and make you a better person. She makes me wanna do better. _You _make me wanna do better. Just between you and me, your mom might just be it for me. I'm just not completely sold on that yet. The last thing I wanna do is hurt her more than I already have..."

The vibrate of his phone made Puck jump, startling Beth for a minute as she let out a small cry. He frowned when he saw Shelby's name flash across the screen, silently slipping a couple of profanities when he finally remembered that she was supposed to come by today. He lets it continue for a minute as he settles Beth back into her cot. Watching one of her hands come around his pinky, he answers the phone with his free hand.

"Hey Shelby."

"Hey Puck. I was just wondering when exactly it would be a good time to..." She let the sentence go unfinished, afraid she might hit a nerve with the teen, who she's learned, has a questionable temper.

"Sorry but I don't think that'll be happening," he says. The line goes silent now. He wonders if somehow the call has dropped, until eventually, he hears a silent breath on the other end.

"Oh? Has something happened to..."

"Quinn's actually changed her mind," he clarifies. Shelby can tell that there's a smile in his reply. A smile that Puck isn't working too hard to hide.

"I see..." she says carefully. He can tell she's disappointed now and can't help feeling badly for her. Rachel's told them all about her past. Which is part of the reason she seemed to be the perfect choice. That and, the silent unspoken agreement that this way, Beth would still be theirs somehow. They wouldn't be raising her but this way; they would know exactly where she's going. Selfishly, Puck saw it as a way of being more involved than just deciding where she ends up.

"Yeah," he says, more quietly this time as he looks down at his trapped finger, a smile crossing his face. "Listen, I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner. Quinn actually just changed her mind this afternoon," he says, hoping the timeline will help ease the situation.

"Are you sure that you two are capable of...?" For some reason, Shelby can't seem to complete a thought. She's not sure why. It might be the disappointment of having the chance taken away or the uncertainty that two teenage parents actually know what they're getting themselves into. She decides that it's a little of both. She laughs to herself, realizing that her hopes of starting fresh weren't even that long lasting. Why then, did it feel like a part of herself was finally being stripped away? Perhaps it was the unwillingness to finally accept the truth. Any hopes of being a decent mother were finally gone this time. Her shot at redemption wasn't coming.

"We know it's not gonna be easy," he says honestly. "But we're gonna give it a shot."

"You do realize that there's no going back, right?"

"Yeah, we know. Quinn and I have both talked it over and the truth is that we just can't. It's no disrespect to you or anything. We just feel like we should be the ones to do this. We're the ones who had her. We should at least be able to own up and take responsibility for what's ours."

"Well...If you ever change your minds, you know where to find me."

"Thanks," he says gratefully. They can both tell by his tone that he's not going to be changing his mind anytime soon. She sighs again, almost ready to hang up now.

"Good luck," she says, a small smile in her tone.

"Thanks," he says again, not sure where to take this conversation anymore.

"I'll talk to you later, Puck. Let me know if you need anything."

"Hold up, Shelby." Subtle breathes are the only indication that he hasn't been hung up on quite yet. "Listen, I know how much you wanted this to happen. We're willin' to take all the help we can get."

"Just let me know," she says.

"Sounds good." With that, they're conversation is over. The squeak of a door pulls his eyes to look at a newly showered Quinn.

"Shit," she mumbled. Puck smiled privately. It always made him somewhat proud to see her fall from her typical good girl tendencies with the odd cuss word. "Shelby's supposed to be here in twenty minutes. I have no idea what to tell her..."

"Just got off the phone with her. She's pretty upset."

"Understandably," she nods, pulling herself up next to him. Puck finds himself threading through her freshly washed hair. Every once and a while, he catches the smell of peaches. "What'd she say?"

"Not much. I know her whole past with Berry had hopes up pretty high. I told her we were willing to take all the help we can. Seemed to soften the blow a little."

"How exactly are we going to tell them? It's not like we've never hinted at keeping her before today."

"True."

"You lied to my mom, didn't you?"

"Not really..." he says slowly. Quinn looked up to see that he's shifting his eyes, not daring to look directly at her. "I kinda told Mom we were keeping our options open..."

"You thought I'd change my mind," she said.

"Is that so bad?" he whispers, taking particular interest in a curl he's made of her hair.

"I don't know," she sighed. "We could have at least talked about it."

"Quinn, have you met yourself? There's no talking things out with you. You made your choice. All I could do was sit on the sidelines and hope."

"I guess you're right," she sighs. "We're not even ready for this."

"Quinn, we've talked about this," he says with a hint of irritation.

"No, I mean it, Puck. We're not even ready! Where are we supposed to find a car seat to take her home in?" He backs a safe distance away from her now, eyeing her carefully.

"How much would you hate me if I told you that I kinda already have one?" he asks sheepishly.

"What? How...?"

"It's been sitting in the trunk of my car for about a month now..." he admits. Quinn just shakes her head, not even bothering to ask why. She knows he'd pull something like this.. He sees her start to laugh and breathes a sigh of relief.

"You're not mad?" he asks, still not completely believing that she's not at least a little pissed at him for defying her.

"Not really. You and I are both set in our thoughts. We have different ways of looking at things. You were fighting to keep her; I was pushing back with wanting to give her up. It's not really surprising you kept it there, hoping I'd eventually cave. You've been trying to do that for months."

"I win?" he asks with an uncharacteristically cheesy smile. Quinn just rolls her eyes with a shake of her head.

"Yes Puck. You win."

"Puckasourous does it again," he whispers, sending a slight breeze to her ear.

"You are so full of yourself," she mumbles.

"You know you like it," he smirks. Quinn throws her head back, slightly annoyed, and hears a slight pop in her neck.

"Fuck," she whimpers as the sensation travels her body building a small fire that lasts a few seconds.

"Watch your tongue, Fabray."

"Shut up! My neck just twisted and hurts like a bitch," she shot back, slapping him soundly on the forearm.

"Geez Quinn. You don't have to hit so damn hard all the time!" he growls.

"Watch your tongue, Puckerman," she mocked. Puck just sighed while massaging his arm. "Will you just come over here and help me?" she asks painfully. He nods, helping her over to the bed. Pulling her hospital gown back, he exposes her pale shoulder blades, letting his hands brush the rest of her hair over her shoulder. Carefully, he kneads the tension areas in her back, taking an extra few minutes at the top of her spine to take out the knot that's sitting there. He feels her tense and softens the circular motion he's using to relieve the pressure.

"How the hell do you sleep at night?" he mumbled.

"With my eyes closed," she smirks.

"Haha, very funny," he says dryly. "Your entire neck's fucked up." Taking her head between his hands he sends her into a gentle roll and soon hears a quick succession of loosening muscles.

"Ow."

"See what I mean?"

"It's the hospital bed," she says. "The one at home likes me better."

"I can't believe how crappy these beds are," he grumbled.

"It's not a five star hotel."

"Still. If you're gonna have to be in a place that isn't home, at least the bed should be halfway decent."

"One of the reasons I just wanna get outta her and go home," she sighed. _Home_. She'd said it a number of times before. Over the last few months, that's what the Puckerman house had become. A home she never really had. Now, she could say it out loud without feeling guilty. Why she was feeling guilty in the first place, she wasn't really sure. Maybe it was the hope that eventually her parents would find out where she really was and want to come and get her. She realized now, that what she once thought was home was really just a house. A roof over her head where she was tolerated

There was no real sense of family. She remembered never being able to walk away from a quiet family dinner. They'd all end up fighting over _something_. And even then it was never all of them at once. There was a silent understanding that they all had their own little corners, and that's where they stayed. Quinn would be up in her room with a textbook in front of her. Her dad had the game blaring so loudly that she could hear it up the stairs and through her door. Judy was always a kind of ghost. Quiet enough to forget she was there, but loud enough to be reminded that she was

Puck's stopped now, bringing his hands to rest on her shoulders. He pulls her back gently, letting her head rest on his chest. His thumb brushing just under her eye is the first indication that she's started to cry. That's enough to lose complete composure. Her small shoulders are wobbling now while larger arms wrap themselves around her. She's a little surprised to be where she is. This isn't Puck. He doesn't believe in any physical contact outside of sex. Even though this sets her back for a few seconds, she lets her body go slack, fingers clawing at the hem of his shirt.

"Why?" she whispers, the single word barely making it around the clog in her throat.

"I don't know, Quinn," he sighs. "They just didn't get it," he decides. She doesn't have to elaborate. He knows what she's thinking. It's not that he's psychic, he just….knows. He gets it. He's been there. Quinn's more than relieved that he just understands. Having to explain why she was feeling a certain way would just make things worse.

"I needed them," she whimpers. I needed my mom…" The only thing she's capable of is crying now. Long, deep cries that seem as if they'll never stop.

"I know," he whispered. Puck's shirt is soaked through with wet hair and tears. He could care less right now about the state of the clothes he's wearing. Quinn's clinging to him with every bit of strength she has. The reality that she's got nothing left, nothing that matters, rattles her to the core. It's just her. It's Quinn Fabray against the world. _Nothing but him _she thinks. She can't help thinking of how many times she's almost lost him to her own stupidity, her own carelessness.

"Please…"

"Loosen up, babe," he says gently. "A man's gotta be able to breathe," he smirks. She does as he's asked, but not by much.

"I can't…"

"I'm not goin' anywhere," he whispers. "If I do, you're comin' with me. We're in this together," he says, gently pulling bits of plastered hair from her face.

"I've lost everything…" she sobs.

"Not everything," he smirks.

"Everyone…everything that meant something. Everyone who supposedly loved me…All gone." Her body's shaking again, Puck trying to contain her with a firm grip around her. He can't help the three seconds of pain he feels when he hears her say that. He knows she doesn't mean it. He knows that all of this is the product of pain that's been festering for much too long. So he lets it go and just does what he's supposed to.

"Just ride it out," he whispers. Quinn's settled herself as closely to him as she can, gripping him with shaking hands. All he can do is sit there, wishing that more than anything, he could bear at least half the burden she's had weighing down on her.

"I can't do this," she cries.

"You can," he says, using his knuckle to have her look at him. "You can and you will. You're not in this alone."

"I hate her," she gasps. "I know…I know I'm supposed to love her…But I can't." Quinn can't help seeing her mother as a stranger now. Since her pregnancy phase, she saw Judy in an entirely different light. Even today, she was nothing more than a shell of the woman she loved. Most of the blame, she realized, was shot at her father. At the same time, she was capable of independent thoughts and feelings. Judy chose to be a female replica of her father. She hated them both with a burning passion. Yet somehow, she hated her mother just a little bit more. "A girl needs her mom, Puck. Mine just…threw me away…"

"People swear they'll never become something. Sometimes, in the end that's exactly who they are. Deep down, some of us turn into the people we really wish we weren't."

"I don't even know where to start," she sighed. "Mom's supposed to help me and obviously she can't. She won't."

"Mom's willing to help you with whatever you need. You know that."

"I know but it's…it's just not the same…"

"I get it. We'll do the best we can with what we've got. Isn't that how it always works?" She nods, finally pulling away from him. Still, the distance between them isn't much and that's the way she wants it, needs it, right now.

"I'm sorry," she blushes. "You're soaked." As she says this, she can make out his sculpted chest and smirks, mentally congratulating herself.

"Don't worry about it. I look better with it off, anyway," he smirks. Quinn shoves him playfully, finally allowing herself to laugh a little.

"You've seen what's under this thing. You can't tell me you don't agree," he whispers with a quirk of his brow. She feels her cheeks heat up again and ducks, embarrassed, barely letting herself nod in agreement. "I'm just too sexy for a shirt. Shame I have to keep it on…"

"Puck, we're in a hospital. You're not taking your shirt off."

"Oh, c'mon! It's not like they're even gonna know. The door's closed!"

"No," she glares.

"Fine," he sighs, defeated. Quinn can't fight the smile he's been able to put on her face. Maybe, she'll be able to keep it there for a while. She yawns, letting her arms extend just a little. She feels a nose meet her knuckle and pulls back quickly. "What the hell, Fabray?" he mumbled.

"Sorry…"

"It's cool. Doesn't hurt that much. You hit like a girl."

"I do? I wonder why that is…" Again she yawns, this time making sure that she keeps her hands close to her body.

"You should get some sleep," he says as he pulls out from behind her. A knock alerts them to the nurse making her rounds.

"Good evening, you two," she smiles. "How are you feeling, Quinn?"

"A little sore," she admits.

"That's perfectly normal. That's all temporary though. No worries. Now, one of our staff is going to come by and show you how to breast feed, if that's what you decide to do." She grimaces, not exactly looking forward to what that might entail. "Most moms prefer it over the bottle feeding. It's a wonderful bonding experience between mother and child."

"We'll see," she smiled. She nods looking over her chart silently.

"Do either of you have any other questions?" Quinn sees Puck open his mouth and elbows him discreetly.

"Hey, I got a question. Why do your beds suck ba—"

"Puck!" she growls.

"What?"

"Ignore him, please. He's being an idiot," she mumbles. The nurse just smiles writing down the last of her chart updates and says a quick goodbye. When the door is closed behind the nurse, Quinn turns to glare at him sharply. "I can't believe you asked her that!"

"It's a valid question!" he defended. "Isn't any business supposed to have satisfied customers or whatever? Well, I'm not very satisfied."

"Too bad. We're only here for another night. Do you think you could save the stupid questions for when we get home?"

"Fine. Take away my freedom of speech. It's not you haven't taken everything else already."

"Yeah well, you took my virginity, so I think we're even now."

"That was fun for both of us so I consider that a draw," he smirked. "But we'll continue racking up points tomorrow. Right now, my baby mama needs sleep," he said brushing her temple as he left his place on the bed. Quinn's hand pulls him back before he can get very far.

"Stay…" she sighed.

"Can the two of us even fit on this thing?"

"Are you calling me fat, Puckerman?" she asked pulling her eyes open wide enough to glare at him.

"No. I don't kiss fat girls, remember?"

"If I have to spend another night on this thing, I don't think I'll be able to move in the morning."

"And how am supposed to solve that problem?" he smirked.

"Be my bed?"

"Hmm…I don't know…What does Puckasourous get outta the deal?

"A very happy baby mama who can actually carry herself out when they tell us we can leave?"

"Sounds decent enough," he says pulling in behind her again. She smiles, letting her head rest comfortably on his chest again.

"You're still wet," she laughed.

"You sure I'm the only one?" he winked. She shoved him gently and laid back down.

"Why is everything sex related to you?" she mumbled.

"Puckasourous is a world renounced sex god," he smirked.

"I thought he was a dinosaur," she smiled.

"That too." She chuckles quietly, letting her eyes close now.

"Goodnight Noah," she whispers. He flinches for a second when he hears his first name cross her lips. Then he smiles, realizing that for her, it's okay. For Quinn, it sounds okay, nice even.

"Goodnight Quinn. " When he's able to hear that she's fallen asleep, he kisses her forehead quietly before letting sleep take him as well. He knows it won't last long because he's going to be up with Beth in just a couple of hours. Puck knows that he's the one who's going to get up with her for the night. He owes Quinn that much. "Just a couple hours, Beth. Just let Daddy sleep for that long before you decide to wake me up," he whispers.

**A/N: Just a dose of Quick to help me keep my sanity. Let me know how it went, please. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it.**

_What the fuck's with all the sirens? _Puck grumbled. His hands fly around in close vicinity for some kind of pillow to throw over his head. After thirty seconds of searching, he comes up empty. _What kind of hospital doesn't give people extra pillows?_ His hand blindly goes looking for some kind of off switch. Coming to, he hears Quinn groan on top of him, his hand making light contact with her forehead.

Blinking several times, he finally takes in his surroundings. A few choice words fly through his lips as he fights the nest that the hospital bed has made of his back. It takes him two seconds to realize that the bed isn't his. It takes him five, to notice that those blaring alarms aren't coming from some kind of offending alarm clock. He's already ruled out the sirens, seeing as common sense would tell him that, unless a car were to spontaneously crash through the wall, no vehicle would make it into a hospital. Clearing the fog that sleep has made of his brain, Puck carefully shifts himself he can easily wriggle from underneath.

"I'm comin'," he mumbles, going rigid for a second as his feet make contact with the cool floor. He hasn't had a chance to look at any kind of clock yet but, to him it feels like he's only been able to sleep, at most, for a good hour. _Here we go_ he groans, dragging himself across the room to where he knows his daughter is waiting.

Though it's dark, he can just make out the outline of his hands, and with that, her tiny frame. As soon as he picks her up, gently bringing her closer to him, Beth stops mid-cry, soon starting up again. She's managed to curl herself into him, tiny hand grazing his chest. Having no light to go by, he stumbles back, only able to go by memory as he looks for the rocking chair that sits against the wall.

Within a couple of minutes, she's calm, going in search of Puck's finger, which she quickly wraps her hand around. Puck can only sigh heavily. As angry as he wants to be, the only thing he can do is smile.

"This couldn't wait till morning?" he mumbles, starting a gentle wave of back and forth. He's only been there for three minutes and he can already feel his eyes going heavy. As much as he fights it, he lets out a strained yawn. "Maybe...maybe next time...you could wait till the sun's up," he suggests. Puck knows it'll be a long time before she understands the concept of sleep and how lack of it, will produce less than happy parents. She's quiet now, just listening to herself talk. Or, whatever it was that babies did. Puck knows he can move now, but lack of sleep gives him no strength to do so. There's also the chance that she could wake up again, starting the process all over again. He'll stay an extra five minutes, just to be safe. He realizes that it's also a chance to build enough energy to drag himself back to bed.

In the silence, the buzz of his cell phone sounds like a chainsaw. Were he not holding Beth, the shock would have sent him flying three feet into the air. He still has no idea what time it is but he knows enough to question, who in their right mind would be up at this time of night? He smirks, telling himself that Beth is the only exception to the insanity. Just pulling it out to see whose head he'd be tearing off in the morning, the light blinds him, sending a round of pretty words that he knows Quinn would kill him for.

_Rachel_. He growls not too quietly and fights the urge to bang his head against the wall only a few inches away. The only thing stopping him is the fact that he knows it would wake Quinn. Listening to her ramble mindlessly _still _makes him wanna light himself on fire. The fact that she's the one interrupting sleep (He can't do anything to his daughter, so he reasons that Berry's his next valid target) makes him none too happy. When his eyes have finally adjusted, he squints to make out the text.

_**we didnt place. glee iz over. **_He and Rachel aren't the kind to text all the time but he has a hunch that she would text with perfect grammar. _It's probably Finn. __**rachel's locked in the bathroom and wont stop crying. she asked me 2 tell you. **_Why couldn't he have just told him that using _his _phone? He glares at his phone again, anger bubbling. This is a different kind of anger. If he still knows Finn well enough, he can take a pretty good guess as to why he's with her. He can't pinpoint exactly what they're doing, (He knows it isn't sex. 'Cause Finn's not that kind of guy) but, as far as Finn knows, Quinn's still his girl. Whether they're together or not, it's way too soon to make Rachel a rebound.

He sighs, remembering that he's still not exactly on good terms with his best friend. The truth coming out still puts a giant wedge between them. He cringes, remembering that none of them know that she's changed her mind. That's only going to make things more awkward than they already are. Not only has he slept with his best friend's girl and gotten her pregnant, he's now going to be sharing in parenting responsibilities. Seeing her all the time for the sake of Beth is already a given. Oh, and there's also the fact that he thinks he might be in love with her too. He's sighs, knowing that the chances of the two of them ever being what they were, is extremely unlikely.

It makes him even sadder to realize that Finn's the closest thing he has to a best friend/brother type thing. No one really wants to befriend the ex con. It's Quinn's fault, really. If she hadn't of been so fucking stubborn, he wouldn't have had to rob a bank to help her pay doctor's bills and shit. He immediately throws out that thought, knowing that he can't really blame her for any of this. Truth be told, it's all on him. If he'd have just kept his shit together. If he'd have just kept it in his pants. If he had been sure he had a condom, he wouldn't be in this situation right now. He smiles, taking in the shadow of her frame.

He decides that right now, he isn't going to be the one to tell her. He's already taken so much away from her. Glee's the only thing that Quinn's got left. He'd be even more of an ass to take her last bit of sanity. He then remembers how close she and Mercedes are now. She could get to her before he musters up the balls to break it to her, himself. Then she'd hate him for sure. He shrugs, willing to take the chance. If it means letting her keep that small glimmer of happiness, he'll be a man and take what she throws at him. It's not like Puck hasn't done that before.

Glancing down at the screen, he sees a blank reply. It's habit, no matter who it is, to give them some kind of answer. Knowing it's Finn, something in him wants to change the subject. Something in him wants to talk about football, or hot girls, or _something. _Anything really. Like the old days. Of the two of them, Finn's the sensitive one. Puck prides himself in being the real man. It's not that Finn's a wuss, (though his fawning over Rachel really gives him no sense of manhood), he just...takes a while to get over betrayal. The betrayer wasn't just anyone. It was his best friend. For someone like Finn, recovery over a screw up like that will take twice as long. His current mood has him saying it anyway. 

_hey dude! rlly hot chix work here. nice big ass, just lik i lik 'em. _Before he can change his mind, he sends it, throwing his phone on the nightstand. Quinn's mumbling incoherently to herself, sleepily turning around to face him.

"Puck...?" she whispers. His head shoots up in surprise. He shifts in the chair uncomfortably (both from feeling like he's been caught in the act, and trying to bring down the instant reaction his body has to hearing her voice). He can hear her just enough. Whether it was the silence or his general reaction to the girl, Quinn sounds...angelic to him. _Way to go, Puckerman. You're fucked now. _The second part of that thought allows him to grow more uncomfortable than he already is.

After finding out about the baby, he'd taken a personal vow or something to kill his inner player. He'd even joined _Celibacy Club_. He feels himself grimace at the idea. He has no idea what the fuck made him do that. Noah Puckerman was a stud. He could make a stable career of sexing up the female population. Sure, it makes him a manwhore but, with the exception of football, that's the only thing he's genuinely good at. The team has only won _one _game the entire season and that was only after Kurt's stupid dance number as he pranced across the field. As much as he loves it, football, by default is mentally scratched off the list. That leaves only sex now. He just makes it (by the skin of his teeth) in school. So why did he come up with the stupid idea to stop doing the only thing he excels in?

"What are you doing up?" _That_ he thinks. He'd done it for Quinn. He'd done it to prove to her that he could change. He'd done it to show her that he was just as valuable, if not more so, than Finn. The games (as much as he enjoyed them) came to a screeching halt. All, for the only girl with enough balls to put up with his shit. The only girl crafty enough to take and hold his armored heart. Without realizing it, she'd danced her way through blazing hoops, taking a chainsaw to the chains wrapped so tightly around it. Quinn Fabray still had the power to completely crush him.

_Nice going, dumbass! _Even if he deleted it now, he knew that Finn had already read it. He sighed. As much as he tried to be a better guy, he'd always end up doing something stupid. What he's done just now, he knew would give Quinn even more reason to hate him. She could leave him right now, before he even got the chance to have her. Groaning, he wipes his hand across his face. Hearing his distress, Quinn raises her brow.

"Something wrong?"

"Just tired," he says. It's not a lie. He really is tired. "Beth woke up." Okay, so it's only a part of the truth but it's not exactly a lie.

"Well, she looks like she's fallen asleep again. Come back to bed." He smirks but says nothing. "Sleeping in the chair's going to have an even worse effect on your back than the bed. At least here, you can stretch out." He hates himself even more now. Here she was, taking care of his sorry ass. Just like she's always kind of done. And he had to fuck up and send the stupid text. He lets it float to the back of his mind. He'll deal with it in the morning.

"Miss me already?" he whispers, taking his place beside her. He feels her nod against his broad chest, where she's once again settled her head.

"What time is it?" she mumbles.

"No idea. Doesn't really matter. Just sleep until the nurse lady gets here to check on you." He gets no reply for she's fallen asleep again. Puck doesn't follow suit. Instead, his mind is racing (again). He finds himself staring at a ceiling he can't really see and just...thinking. More than thinking, he's hoping. Hoping that his lapse of idiocy doesn't land him in hot water. He scoffs, knowing that there's no chance in hell of that happening.

And then there's this other feeling. Guilt? Yeah, that's it. For the first time, Puck feels guilty. For the first time in his life, he wants to take it back. They're not even really together yet and it feels like he's cheated. With a heavy sigh, he's playing with a piece of her soft blond hair. He hears her sigh, nail subconsciously gliding down his chest. A familiar shiver courses through him. He hasn't told her this yet but, she's the only one who has this kind of effect on him.

_How the fuck does she do that?_ He gently takes her wandering hand in his own, distracting himself by playing with her knuckles. He laughs when he hears her start a gentle snore. The snoring stops. She's just starting a quiet cry while she sleeps.

"I'm so sorry Daddy..." Quinn's begun a subtle toss and turn of her head. "So...sorry." Puck's thumb gently brushes her cheek. He's happy to see that it hasn't woken her. At least he's able to _that _right.

"Shh," he whispers.

"No!" she shouts. He's surprised to see that her own screaming hasn't brought her into full consciousness yet. "You can't...Please don't...Don't make me go..." As much as it pains him to feel the wetness on her cheeks, he can't wake her. As heartless as it'll make him look, he just listens to her go through, what he knows of personal experience, is a memory nightmare type thing. He does what he can, holding her as close as he can, (not that the size of the bed gives him any other option) silently hoping that she won't wake up in tears and a cold sweat.

His hopes are dashed when she rips herself away from him, sitting straight up. _Shit_. She's fully awake now, just letting herself cry. Before the shock value wears off, (not that there should even be one. He's done this before. He's lived it.) he just lays there, watching her small shoulders go up and down, her breath coming and going every two seconds. There's just something about watching a girl cry, something about watching Quinn cry that makes him immobile. Before she realizes he's not doing anything and chews him out for being an ass, he wraps his arms around her.

Puck doesn't know if it's the shock or the lingering pregnancy hormones. He read somewhere online, that hormones stick around for a while after the baby's born. He decides it could be either of them, or a bit of both. Regardless, he sits there, letting her put her weight on him. He looks over in the general direction of where Beth is sleeping and is surprised to see that Quinn's freaking out hasn't woken her up.

"Shh," he whispers, so only she can hear. "It's just a dream." She just shakes her head and he's forced to watch the pain glide faster down her face.

"He...he hit me," she cried. He feels his hands curl into fists and goes stiff.

"He did what?"

"In my dream," she clarifies. Puck can feel himself relax a little now. "He actually hit me..."

"Calm down, Quinn. You're brain's giving you a bunch of unrealistic images. You can't let yourself feed into them."

"Cam down?" she growls. "How the hell am I supposed to calm down?" He sighs, running his hand through his hair.

"You're imagining things because you're scared," he said calmly. "If you think about it, you're going to dream about it."

"Are you some kind of shrink now?" she asks angrily. "How is it that you know exactly what's going on inside my head?"

"He did the same thing to me," he whispered. "I'd wake up like you just did, at least three times a night for the first month. It's always the same one. He's walkin' out and I just keep running. The old man just keeps getting farther and farther away."

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I shouldn't have..."

"It's fine. I don't make it a point to tell people how fucked up my life is." Quinn smiles, somewhat honored that he's willing to open up to her like this. She knows it's not easy for a guy like, Puck. As awful as that piece of his past is, she feels...special? She can tell just by the way he's talking that his tough guy exterior's been knocked down. He's vulnerable now. Quinn honestly has no idea what to do with this part of him. Was she supposed to comfort him now? She knows how he feels about being touched so she decides against it. Instead, she's just quiet, waiting for him to say whatever else he has in mind. After twenty seconds of nothing, she realizes that there's nothing left.

"I just...It's all so new..." she admits. She sees him nod.

"Get's easier," he mumbled. "I hate to tell you this but, somethin' like that doesn't really leave you. "You just...learn to deal." She nods again, ready for him to throw up his walls again. He doesn't. "I still see him sometimes...Like twice a year or so. Usually around Hanukah and my birthday. I'm done bein' sad about it. I'm just...angry now. Angry that I let myself still think about him. Not that I make an effort to do that."

"Is it the time of year?" she suggests.

"Maybe. All I know is I hate him. I hate him for leaving my mom. I hate him for leaving my sister. She's lucky. She doesn't even know what kind of guy he is. She doesn't remember him walkin' out on us. Hell, she wasn't even _born_ yet."

"At least you had him for a time..." she says slowly. He scoffs.

"I think he was home for like, two months at a time? And even then it was about once every two years or something."

"I'm sorry..."

"Will you stop?" he growls angrily. He can tell she's flinched, backed away from him a little. Quinn feels like she's been slapped in the face.

"I was just..."

"Feelin' sorry for me?" he snaps. "Yeah well, I get enough of that shit. I don't need people feelin' sorry for me! I get enough of that from people at Temple. It's been like nine years and I still see the pity in their faces! I'm fucking sick of it! I don't need you pitying me too. So just...Just stop, alright? I've done fine without his sorry ass. I don't need him. I've never needed him."

"But you want him," she whispered.

"No. No I don't. If that's the kind of man he is, I really don't want him around."

"There's a part of you that always will. Even if it's microscopic, it's in there."

"You don't know nothin' abbot me, Fabray. Stop thinking you know what I feel and think. You don't." She sighs, not having the energy to fight with him right now.

"You're right," she decides. "Maybe I don't know very much about you. Yet..."

"What do you mean 'Yet'?"

"You know, if we're really going to make this work, I'm going to actually have to figure who you are."

"You know who I am."

"Puck, the fact that you're good in bed, really doesn't count," she groaned.

"You mean, the fact that I'm _great _in bed," he smirked. Quinn just rolled her eyes.

"Get your big head out of the gutter for like five minutes!" she growled. "That's not the point!"

"Will you stop getting so damn worked up about this? It's not even that big a deal.

"It _is_ a big deal!" I know you base your entire love—it's not even that, it's more your sex life—on lies, but that's not who I am."

"Says the one who flat out lied to Finn about whose baby you were carrying," he pointed out. She sighed. "It was one of the crappiest lies I've heard, too. If you're going to lie to someone, at least make it convincing."

"It's Finn," he pointed out.

"Doesn't really matter. Half the time, you lie to convince yourself that what you're saying is true. We all know how that turned out."

"Can we not do this right now?" she yawned. Puck's face, gone defensive and hard, softened.

"Yeah. Just go back to sleep."

"What time is it?"

"Bedtime," he mumbled. He turns to face her and can make out the shape of his phone sitting on the nightstand. It's flashing, signaling a new text. He probably missed it while they were arguing.

"Uh ha," she smiles. She's barely able to reach the phone from where she's sitting. Puck can feel his stomach drop, his eyes darting back and forth. _Don't open it_.

"Oh, it's from Rachel," she says curiously. Puck can hear how forced the happiness is. The two of them were...bearable friends in glee, but that's about as far as it went. "I wonder what she wants. Why the heck is she texting you this late, anyway? Why is she texting you at _all_? He can hear a hint of jealousy in her tone and can't help the smirk that crosses his face.

"Probably just wants to ramble like she usually does," he shrugged. "I'll check it in the morning. Right now, I'm just trying to stop the urge to find a match," he says angrily. Quinn laughs, patting his defined bicep. It's over too soon. He spends three seconds just looking at where her hand has been.

"I just wanna see how long I have left to sleep."

"Does it matter? Nobody's here to bother you. Just sleep until we're forced into the world of the conscious people." She opens it slowly and like him, goes blind for three seconds.

"Gah! Stupid light."

"Just give me the damn phone," he growls, his voice on the edge of impatience. He has to admit he's slightly panicked now, too.

"What the hell?" she asks angrily.

"What?" he sighs. "Gimme that thing!" She swings it just out of his reach and blinks three times before reading it again. He looks over to see that, for once, she's done as he asked and ignored the incoming messages. She's scrolling through his sent folder and he can't help wanting to snatch it right out of her hands. "Why the hell are you reading those?"

"Why are you sending them?" she growls. "You've been hitting on the nursing staff? Really?"

"No."

"Liar. I should have expected as much! It's not like you're going to magically change overnight or anything. But, come on! It hasn't even been twelve hours!"

"Will just calm the hell down? Nothing happened!"

"Then why do I see you telling Finn how amazingly hot they are?"

"Christ, Quinn. I'm a guy, okay? Just because I tell another guy about a girl, doesn't mean I'm gonna have sex with said girl. Chicks do it too."

"I'm sorry. I guess I just assumed that since, you know...Since we're not exactly together..."

"We're not?" he asks with a raise of his brow.

"Well, not really..."

"Quinn, you're my baby mama. We're about as together as two people can get. And there you are assuming things. I was right. You really don't know me."

"Yet."

"Whatever. I'm not a deadbeat—"

"I never said you were," she countered.

"I'm not gonna screw this up. I can't. I'm not my dad."

"I never said that either," she whispered.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I just...I don't want or need you to be assuming you know something when you don't."

"I know..."

"I'm not that guy anymore. I haven't been him for a while."

"How am I supposed to believe that?"

"You can't," he said honestly. "You're just going to have to trust me. Not that I've given you much reason to, in the past."

"I'm starting to," she admitted honestly. "It just takes time. We have a pretty screwed up history. I'm just taking this one step at a time. You need to be patient with me." He rolled his eyes. Anyone insane enough to be around Quinn Fabray, practiced a hell of a lot of patience.

Puck's phone rang while still in Quinn's hand. She looked down at it, studying the caller ID.

"Mercedes?" she asked curiously. _Shit_. If he'd gotten to know Mercedes well enough, the wannabe diva was calling to tell Quinn about Regionals.

"Just let it go to voicemail," he sighed. "It's too fuckin' late to talk to people." Quinn answers it anyway, with a respectful 'hello', despite what time of the night it is.

"Hey, girl. I know it's late but I was just calling to let you know..." Puck's turned away now, silently preparing himself for the wrath of Quinn Fabray.

"No..." she whispers. There's a two minute silence before she speaks again. "Thanks for letting me know, Mercedes. Yeah, I'll see you then." Even before he looks up to see her face, Puck knows what he'll find. It's going to be one of two things. Anger or complete disappointment. Or a mix of the two.

"We lost...Glee club is over..." As much as she tries to fight them, Puck can see her eyes are glazed over. She doesn't let them spill over but the sadness is there.

"I know..."

"You knew?" she asks sharply. "You knew this and you never even bothered to tell me? All this time we were fighting over something so stupid and you couldn't even slip in a 'Hey Quinn, we lost'? I...I had to hear it from, Mercedes! You're sitting right here and can't even waste three seconds of precious air to break the news to me!"

"Do you know how ridiculous you're sounding right now?" he laughed. "It really shouldn't matter who you hear it from. Truth is that we lost. We lost and Glee's over. For good." Puck sees her face fall and can't fight the urge to at least touch her. She flinches, swinging her legs around the bed so she can't look at him. She knows she's being childish about this but right now, she doesn't really care. She hears him come up behind her and slides further away. She doesn't have far to go. She's reached the foot of the bed now. "I'm sorry," he says. "I shouldn't have said it like that." Quinn just glares at him. If it wasn't him she was aiming the look at, he would tell her how sexy she looks when she's angry. They're in a staring contest, Puck just waiting for some kind of reaction. Quinn's just hoping he'll leave her alone. He wins (again). Slowly, he watches her rock-hard gaze turn cloudy.

He knows she'll probably bite his head off if he gets any closer. Logic tells him to keep his distance. Since when has Noah Puckerman ever listened to logic? He puts a firm hand on her shoulder, watching fresh tears come down.

"It's gone," she whispers. "Everything's actually...gone."

"I can't believe it either. Aural Intensity fucking sucked. The thing's gotta be rigged or something." She smiles, despite herself.

"Why couldn't you just tell me?" she asked quietly.

"I got you into this mess. I'm the one who's taken everything from you. I didn't want your last bit of...happiness to be my fault, too. I'm already enough of an ass for getting you pregnant. I'm a stubborn bastard for making you change your mind."

"You're not a stubborn bastard. You're stubborn but you're not a bastard."

"You don't know me too well yet. I suggest you hold judgment till you do."

"I know enough," she said.

"I didn't want to give you another reason to hate me."

"I don't hate you," she sighed.

"You're just sayin' that so I don't feel like a complete jackass."

"I'm not. It takes two, Puck. I could have said no."

"But you didn't."

"Exactly. I'm as much to blame as you are. Please stop putting all the blame on yourself."

"It is though. I should've made sure we had a condom."

"Those things aren't 100 percent reliable. There's a chance it could have happened, condom or no condom."

"There would've at least been a chance that nothing would have happened..."

"We can't keep playing the 'what ifs'. What's happened is happened. I can't get my virginity back and Beth is already here. We have to work with it."

"I'm sorry."

"Just stop. Stop blaming, stop thinking back. Everything happens for a reason," she smiled.

"You're not gonna go all Jesus freak on me now, are you?"

"No," she laughed.

"Good 'cause that might be offensive." She yawns, crawling back up into the pillows.

"It's already two in the morning."

"This means that, if I do my math right, I've got about ten minutes of sleep before she wakes up."

"You don't have to."

"I want to," he says.

"We'll alternate. That way you at least get a four hour block of sleep."

"She's only got a couple more before she's up for good. I can handle it."

"You sure?" she yawns. He nods as she situates herself for a third time. She feels a slight pang of guilt when she realizes just how much he's done for her.

"You're so good to me," she sighed.

"That leaves this room and I deny every word," he mumbled. She smiles, feeling his fingers thread through her hair, almost without thinking. "Get some sleep," he whispered. She nods, letting her eyes close again. She's got her wrapped around his torso and just lets them sit loosely. Puck follows not too soon after, finally letting his eyes close.

**A/N: And so we reach the end of chapter five. Reviews are always lovely. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Glee.**

Puck groans, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Beth's up again and just like the last two times, so is he. He sighs, relieved that he sees the sun come peaking through the hospital curtain. Although, the sight of it means that he'll have to be up for good now. The idea isn't exactly too exciting to come to terms with. But drag himself out of bed he does. He can't help the small smile that graces his face when he takes in Quinn's sleeping figure out of the corner of his eye. For the first time in a while, she looks peaceful. A meek string of cries forces Puck to divert his attention.

"I'm up, I'm up," he mumbles. As he picks her up, Puck settles himself in the chair again, the gentle rock he's started, making him fight the urge to close his eyes. He has no idea why he's so tired all of a sudden. He's gone days without sleep trying to absorb the information in textbooks that he can never fully grasp. He would never tell anyone as much. As far as they knew, he was a partier. If they find out that he actually put more effort into academic than he needs to, his slim reputation becomes nothing.

Without even realizing it, he's started the opening cords to what he and Quinn have decided, is Beth's song. He laughs quietly to himself. How could it not be? The song gave her a name and (though it took a lot more work than he originally thought it would) gave him a second shot at being the man that Quinn deserved. He hears her mumble from across the room and raises his head.

"You know, if we keep that consistent enough, her first word might actually be her own name," she laughs. Puck just shrugs.

"It calms her," he mutters. Slowly, she gets up and shuffles over to where the two of them are sitting. Taking in her "fresh from sleep" image, he smirks. The sour look on her face never gets old. "Sleep better?" he asked. She nods mutely and just watches them. Puck's playing with her feet again. She smiles, tearing up a little. If what she'd seen in the last 24 hours was any indication, Puck's inner softy would be radiating more and more as time went on.

"I can't wait to sleep in my own bed," she mumbles, a soft pop echoing from her neck. He eyes her carefully. Since their last big blow, (just two days before she went into labor) they haven't exactly been civil with one another. Until now, he's just realized that Quinn's still living with Mercedes.

"Not that I'm complaining," he starts, "but why did you tell your mom you were living with me?" She offers him a cheeky smile and shrugs.

"Maybe I wanted to rub it in a little," she admits. He smirks. Puck can't help feeling a little proud. She's been a lot ballsier lately. He can't help thinking that some of it's probably his doing.

"Do you...?" he starts. He's not exactly sure how to ask her if they're actually going to live together. He doesn't want to make decisions for her. "Are we...?" Quinn chuckles as the man of few words can't even let one sentence come out.

"I'm going to let Mercedes know that, though her hospitality has been more than wonderful, her house isn't the right place anymore," she says. He nods, somewhat annoyed with himself that he couldn't just ask her. In his experience, he could talk it up for hours to get a girl in his corner. As she did with every other aspect, Quinn proved to be nothing like that. The smooth talker that he normally is, has become a stumbler.

"If that's what you want," he says with a shrug. "I could go either way." Secretly, he's more than glad that she's decided that they should live together. That makes them seem more like a family.

"It's what I want," she confirms with a nod. "Hey, I'm gonna go take a quick shower to wake myself up. I should be out in ten." He sighs while looking down at Beth. The little girl doesn't realize that it's because of her that he still can't "help" Quinn. "Tonight," she whispers. He raises his brow, making sure that he's actually heard her right. "The roller coaster ride is gonna be open for another couple of days," she promises. Puck smirks, giving silent thanks to lingering pregnancy hormones. When she's turned around, he can't help that his eyes are admiring her swaying hips and-dare he risk thinking about it-her ass. When Quinn finally closes the door behind her, Puck turns to Beth who's just staring up at him.

"Little cockblocker," he whispers. A gentle knock alerts him to a visitor. It's the morning shift nurse who's come to check on Quinn. "She's in the shower," he supplies, knowing who she's come for. This one's a lot older and just smiles quietly.

"Did you all get a goodnight's rest?" she asks. He nods, finally allowing himself to pull his gaze from Beth. Puck wants to be honest and tell her how crappy a sleep they had but he knows that'll get him in trouble. Not only would Quinn yell at him for being an idiot (which really he doesn't mind. It puts that fire back in her eyes.) But he'd also feel kind of pad. "Is she in any pain?" Puck raises his brow.

"Shouldn't you be asking Quinn these kinds of questions?" She smiles softly, an apologetic smile on her face.

"I'm sorry. This is making you feel a little uncomfortable, isn't it?"

"Not uncomfortable. Just...I think it'd be better if you waited for her to tell you all this herself. I'm not her so it's hard to know." The woman nods just as Quinn pulls out of the bathroom, dressed with dripping hair, towel around her shoulders. Puck has suddenly grown uncomfortable again and shifts a little. _How the hell is it that everything she does affects me like this? It can't be normal._

"Good morning Quinn. How are you feeling?" She offers the nurse a soft smile and greeting as she walks over to stand beside Puck. Without a word, he offers her the baby as she settles in the visitor's chair. She offers him a smile in thanks and readjusts the towel sitting on her shoulders. As she does, Puck catches another whiff of her shampoo. "Not much has changed," she says honestly. "Still sore and my shoulders are a little stiff." Puck silently rubs her shoulder. A subtle nod is his thank you.

"I may work here but I have to admit that these beds aren't too comfortable." Quinn sees him smirk out of the corner of her eye and glares at him. She's seen him opening his mouth to reply but he shuts it at the sight of her glare.

"It's just nice to be in your own bed," she says. The woman nods, writing down the last of the information.

"Well, it looks like we're going to have to get you out of here," she says. "I'll have the doctor run your discharge forms and you should be good to go."

"Thank you." Once the door had closed behind her, Quinn lets out a heavy sigh. "This is actually happening," she whispered. "I'm kind of nervous," she says releasing a shaky breath. Puck nods and comes around to face her.

"Me too," he says quietly. "We got this though."

"I don't know," she sighed. "We have no idea what we're doing. Once we take her home, it's just us. No hospital staff to help us when we screw up."

"There's no doubt we're gonna screw up," he admits. "But we figure it out. It's not like it's just you and me, Quinn. We've got help."

"I know," she whispers. "I just...I don't know if I..."

"You're going to be a kickass mom," he says. She laughs, rolling her eyes. Again, he's figured out what she has to say without her saying everything. At times, it creeps her out to know how well he can read her. Though, she has to admit, her thoughts haven't changed much beyond the fear of not being good enough, for a while. Maybe he just knows because she's voiced the same fear so many times.

"We'll see," she smiles.

"You will," he whispers. She sighs, not quite sure she completely believes him. She hasn't exactly had any experience. The one night she babysat for Mr. Schue's in-laws (whose children she still believes are spawns of the devil) didn't really count. It was Puck's idea to sing to them. If it weren't for his quick thinking, they would have stayed hog-tied in those chairs until their parents got home. Their home, quite possibly suffering hundreds of dollars in damage. Quinn smiles, begrudgingly accepting his reassurances. The nurse reappears, a warm smile on her face.

"Looks like you're all set to go," she says. The two thank her as Puck takes to packing up her things. The only reason she isn't doing any of it herself is because he's already started and truthfully, she's not ready to part with Beth just yet. From where she's sitting, she can't help eyeing him carefully. Feeling her eyes on him, Puck turns around with a smirk on his face.

"I'm not gonna touch your delicates," he promised. Quinn blushes a flaming read, throwing her head in the nurse's direction. She sighs with relief when she sees that they're alone again. "Don't worry. I made sure she was gone before I said something like that."

"If I wasn't holding the baby, I would smack you so hard right now," she growled. He just smiles, taking a minute to look at the coloring he's put in her face. Quinn scowls, turning her attention to the door. She groans when she sees the wheelchair sitting up against the wall. "Do I really have to ride out in that?" she sighed.

"Mom says it's hospital policy or some shit." Packing up the last of her things, Puck sets the grocery bag at her feet. All she has is the yellow dress that all the girls wore to competition and a change of clothes that she demanded he bring for her during one of his mandatory breaks from the nursery. He smirks, remembering how the dress hugged her tightly, giving him a prominent view of her chest.

"Can we just go? I'm starting to think the smell of antiseptic is creeping into my skin." He nods, watching her sink into the chair tiredly. Coming up behind her, he wheels her out of the room. The chill of the hall makes her shiver causing Puck to stop. Quickly, he takes off his Letterman jacket, throwing it over her shoulders. It's then that he notices the fact that her hair still hasn't completely dried. Quinn takes a second to smile at him softly before they continue toward the nurse's station.

"Wait here," he instructs when they've finally reached the intended destination. She nods, resting her head against the back of the chair. When he's finally out of earshot, Quinn turns her attention to the sleeping baby in her arms.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she sighs. "Your daddy's so good to me. Why'd I think Finn would be a better father?" She gets no answer and simply brushes her finger gently across her cheek. "He wanted to name you Drizzle..." she says with a roll of her eyes. "At least Puck wanted to give you a name that actually existed. He was inspired by a bottle of whiskey but still."

"I say, when she's old enough we get a dog and name it Jack Daniels," he suggests, coming up behind her.

"Why?"

"'Cause it's badass," he said simply.

"I'm not naming any potential pets after alcoholic drinks," she said sternly.

"Oh, come on," he smirked. "We don't even have to call him that. We could call him JD or something. No reference to heavy whisky at all."

"You named Beth already," she pointed out.

"You like the name. I believe it was I who brought tears to those gorgeous eyes," he whispered huskily. Quinn's cheeks run a deep red as she shoves him playfully.

"I was hormonal," she mumbled. "I cried if I chipped a nail."

"Mhm. Say all you want, baby. You know I'm going to sway you eventually," he smirked. Quinn just glared at him. Puck laughed quietly. As much fun as it was to get her riled up, he knew he'd end up caving for Team Quinn. For the last eight months, she's had him attending her every concern, her every desire. The guys would call him whipped to the nth degree. He'd deny it, like he knows he should. Deep down though, he knows he is and as much as he shows that it bothers him, somehow, he doesn't mind it. Both are stubborn beyond any measure but when it comes down to it, she's always been in charge. She just rolls her eyes, pointing to the hospital entrance.

"I believe we have somewhere to be," she prompted. He nods, continuing their journey to the outside world. Coming up to his truck, he opens her door before taking his little girl. Quinn settles in as Beth changes hands one more time.

"Just give me a minute to install the car seat." She nods, craning her neck to watch him. Really, there's nothing else to do. It's either stare ahead or try and calm these...urges. Puck's much better landscape to set her eyes on anyway. "Fuck," he mumbles. She giggles as he watches her suck his wounded knuckle, that's just been caught between the seats.

"Noah..." she warns teasingly. She hates it when he swears and he knows it.

"Not now, Quinn," he growls. "This thing's not latching right and I just jammed my finger. I'm not responsible for anything that comes out of my mouth right now." She just sighs, watching as he struggles with it for another three minutes before finally pulling out of the car. "Goddammit!" he groans. He's managed to hit his head on the roof of the car.

"Just come get your daughter so we can leave this parking lot," she sighs. "I'm getting hungry." He nods, carefully strapping Beth in her chair. After he's done so, he admires her face for a couple of seconds and brushes a thumb across her forehead. Coming around to the driver's side, he finally starts the engine. Out of habit, he revs and swings out of the parking spot. Glancing behind him for oncoming cars, his eyes wander to the little girl in the backseat.

Almost immediately, he's crawling out of the parking lot. Quinn sighs when she realizes that the speedometer has only reached ten miles an hour.

"You do know you can move a little faster, right?" Puck just ignores her, adding an extra two miles to his current speed. Quinn just throws her head back, in no mood to argue with him. She smiles. His hands, usually so confident in everything he does, have a slight tremor to them. Quietly, she takes one of them in hers to stop the shaking. "Somebody's a little nervous," she whispered. He glances over at her and she can't help laughing at the hint of fear in his expression. "You can press down a little harder on the peddle, Puck. She'll be fine."

They're only half way home twenty minutes later, cars already starting to honk in frustration. Puck doesn't seem to notice or care as someone behind them, cuts him off. A finger solute is his only reply.

"Some people have no fucking patience," he mumbled.

"Puck, we're the only car on the road that's going at fifteen miles an hour. I think I just saw a biker walk alongside us and he's already long gone." Once they've hit a red light, he turns around doing a cursory check on Beth, who he sees is still asleep. Given the green light, he pulls up beside a man who looks to be in his early sixties, top down on his convertible. He cringes and quickly looks away.

"People that old, shouldn't be driving sports cars. It ain't right."

"Teenagers shouldn't be the ones holding up traffic so old guys like him can pass us by about twenty miles. "You know, we've been here long enough that I really have to pee now. You wanna switch so we can get home before the stars come out?"

"No."

"Honestly Puck. Picking up to the addressed speed limit isn't going to hurt her. She's fine," Quinn repeats for the fifth time since they've gotten into the truck. "Red light," she mumbles. Having almost gone through it, he's forced to come to come to a sudden stop. While waiting, he turns to make sure she's okay (for what Quinn believes is the sixth time). "She's fine," she growls.

"I just wanna make sure she's safe!" he defended.

"She's strapped in, Puck. The only way she's going to move is if we take her out or we somehow go flying through the windshield.

"Fuck, Quinn. Don't say stuff like that!"

"At the rate you're going, we'll be more than okay," she laughed. "But in all seriousness, my bladder isn't happy. Peddle to the meddle, please!" He groans, finally allowing himself to crawl up to the marked speed limit. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he mumbles.

"Get us home in five minutes and I'll thank you properly," she whispered. Puck's eyes go wide, as a smirk comes across his face. Without realizing it, he's revved the engine, now a perfect match with all the other drivers. For a couple of minutes he passes all of his automotive competitors, given the perfect incentive to breeze right through.

"That's really low, Fabray," he grumbled. She laughs, taking in the small bulge in his pants. Her right hand hasn't moved from his knee, and not at any point is he ready to get her to keep it to herself.

"It's working, isn't it?" she smirked.

"You're such a bitch," he whispered.

"A bitch that has a pair of very lacy panties that she left at your house," she whispered.

"Damn...Can I take you up on you driving the rest of the way home?"

"Oh no, I can hold it. Just keep driving." The frustration only grew as he tried to remember which lace she was talking about. He soon realized he didn't really care. A chick in lace was enough to make him wish he was already in the room, both of them stripped to nothing with Quinn still wearing the torturous piece of clothing along with the matching bra he knew she had.

"Yeah well, I don't know if I can say the same," he muttered.

"Just another ten miles," she encouraged.

"Ten miles, ten miles, ten mother fuckin' miles..." Quinn smiled to herself. There was no doubt she still had to use the bathroom desperately. The torturing outweighed by far too much. Five minutes later, they pulled into the driveway, Puck voicing his gratefulness with what Quinn believed to be something like "Thank God." "I'll get her out, you go get naked," he demanded.

"I'm gonna use the bathroom first," she said.

"Fine," he sighed. "Just be dressed in your sexy little number before I get up there."

"Yes sir."

"Good girl," he smirked, kissing her collarbone lightly. He smiled against her neck when he felt her tense. "There's a lot more where that came from," he whispered.

**A/N: Pass? Fail? Let me know, please! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Glee is still not mine.**

When she's turned around, Puck notices her obvious limp as she walks away. Noticing how much a struggle it is for her to make it through the front door, he finds himself following close behind. By the tensing of her shoulders he can tell that she's fighting pain.

"Quinn, are you going to be able to make it?" Puck sees her nod just a few steps ahead of him. Her response lasts no more than a second as the limp in her walk returns. He walks up beside her, his arm coming around her securely. Now that he's right next to her, he can see the pain in her face as she cringes with every other step. "You can barely walk, babe. Give me a couple of seconds to get her inside and I'll come out and get you." Quinn stops long enough to roll her eyes.

"Puck, I'm fine," she promises. He scoffs. His gaze tells her he's less than convinced. A small smile comes across her face when she feels that his grasp on her hasn't changed. Quinn stops at the front door, long enough to feel the world begin a subtle spin, tiny lights spotting her vision. "My head…" she mumbles. Before she can complete her mumbled complaint, she can feel two strong arms come around her small frame.

"Something tells me you're not 'fine'," he mutters. "You didn't eat anything this morning." She shakes her head, eyes still closed as she waits for her spotted vision and spinning world to stop. He sighs heavily, placing Beth around the corner as he steps inside. Her weight has shifted, Puck baring most of it as he leads her to the kitchen table. "Sit," he demands.

"Bathroom…"

"I want you to eat something first," he says, already pulling out a bag of Eggo waffles and popping them into the toaster.

"I feel special," she laughed. "You're sparing me your precious waffles."

"You about passed out in front of the house," he pointed out. "This is the first thing I could get my hands on." Quinn smiles weakly letting her eyes close lazily as her head comes down on the kitchen table. She startles as the plate comes down in front of her. "At least three bites before you get up again," he said sternly. She looks up at him and resists the urge to roll her eyes.

"Not even two days and you're playing the Daddy card," she laughed.

"Just eat," he grumbled. She nods, noticing that he's drowned them in syrup just how she likes them. He slides in next to her after covering his own breakfast in spray can whipped cream. "Can you even taste any waffle in all that sugar?" he asked. She nods smiling widely. Puck smirks noticing she's let syrup stick to the corner of her lip. A callused thumb brushes the corner of her mouth, causing a gentle blush to heat her cheeks.

"Can I go pee now?" she sighed after clearing her plate. The only evidence that remains is a deep pool of the sugary substance. He nods, watching her stumble her way out. When she's finally left, Puck sighs heavily. He can't help feeling like an idiot for his less than pure thoughts. Considering what she's been through, Quinn isn't even close to considering any kind of physical contact. They've got at least six weeks before they get there. Given the fact that they're just now tentatively treading the waters of their own relationship, Puck has a feeling it'll be much longer than that, if ever.

"Daddy's a moron," he mumbled walking over to Beth who's still asleep on the kitchen counter. "Your mama's never going to want to be with me again. Or at least not for a long while anyway." It takes him a minute to realize how quiet the house is. A note on the fridge tells him where his mom and sister are out until late that night. He shrugged glad to know they have the house to themselves. It makes first day transition easier. After a minute he hears a shuffle to the family room and not too long after, a grunt in discomfort. Raising a brow in curiosity, he struts into the living room taking in Quinn's pained expression as she lays herself across the couch.

"Oh my God…" she mumbles painfully. His forehead wrinkles in concern, his thumb coming to brush her moistened cheek. She startles at his touch, blinking several times before gazing up at him. "I feel like someone's tearing me apart," she whispered, cringing as she repositioned herself.

"You're not helping anything by lying on this thing," he sighed. Quinn pulls a heavy breath, turning to face him. "There's a reason the sleeping on the couch is punishment," he smirked. "Why didn't you go up and lie down?" She only shrugs. Truthfully, she isn't sure what she is and isn't allowed to do here. She doesn't live here anymore. "You know where my room is and it's gotta be more comfortable than this."

"Anything's better than the hospital," she mumbled. "And honestly, I don't think I'd be able to get back up, even if I wanted to." He sighs as he helps her sit up. Struggling to an upright position, a scalding pain shoots through her. Quinn's only response is a scream and growl combination as a stream of tears flow down her face. "Did I mention how much I hate you?" she cried, glaring over at him.

"A few times," he laughed. Seeing the pain in her face Puck stops mid-laugh. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "There's no way in hell you're staying here," he concluded, gently lifting her up off the couch making his way to the bedroom. Her only argument is a short gasp in surprise. "Relax, Quinn," he mutters. She sighs, defeated. Silently, she smiles at the subtle gesture. She's been doing that a lot lately. Smiling or allowing herself to appreciate.

As he kicks open his bedroom door, she notices it's toned down greatly on the man cave qualities she's used to. His walls are stripped of posters, his shrine of videogames stacked in a corner. Quinn chuckles at the thought of his mother breathing down his neck to tidy up the place. And it is, give or take a few articles of clothes at the foot of an unmade bed.

"You cleaned up in here," she finally says. He nods, setting her on his bed with as little movement as possible.

"I almost broke my damn ankle tripping over my PS3 the other night. I figured I'd pick up a little."

"Your Mom couldn't walk around in here?" she smirked.

"That too. I don't think I've seen my floor in about a year."

"Hey, does your mom still have those over-stuffed pillows lying around?"

"Yeah, I'll go grab you a couple." Two minutes later he returned, a smile quickly coming across his face. "Looks like you won't need me anymore." She looks up at him with a knit brow. "The pillows are taking up what's supposed to be my half of the bed." She smiles, remembering the nights she'd start in the guest room and somehow always end up with Puck. She'd done it so much that eventually he'd just scoot over while he slept. Quinn often found herself inches away from him until she settled in the circle his arms provided, one of his hands wandering to where the bump was steadily growing.

"I hate to kick you out of your own bed…"

"It's cool. I've got a sleeping bag in the closet. I really don't want to be suffocated in my sleep by one of your new best friends." She laughed, painfully scooting to the center of the bed. "Yell if you need anything," he muttered. "I gotta put together the old crib in the attic"

"Puck, Beth is still downstairs on the counter."

"Right," he says in a rush, quietly closing the door behind him. Quinn just shook her head, cringing as she snuggled further into the warm sheets. She sighs contentedly when she realizes that they still smelled like him. It wasn't so much about Puck, really. It was more a reminder of the safety he provided her. The last thing she heard was Puck's hurried stride as he rushed down the stairs as Beth announced her consciousness.

"You have some amazing skill, kid. Am I supposed to feel special or something that you only chose to wake up when I'm doing this by myself?" he asked as he lifted her out of the car seat. Beth's only reply is a sharp cry. Puck can't help but cringe as he goes over the mental check list. Seeing as she'd just eaten before leaving the hospital that could only mean..."Fantastic," he muttered. With a heavy sigh he walks into the nursery.

A few months back he'd decided to turn his music room into a nursery. He knew he'd never use it but something about working with his hands and who the project was for helped him cope with the painful reality of Quinn's decision. And even though it killed him, he was forced to agree. Even when it was done and Beth wasn't theirs anymore, he'd always have this. A reminder that, at one point she was theirs. Even though it meant doing away with his musical sanctuary, it would allow him to remember what almost was. It was better, in a way. Music was the one thing that tore his family apart. He'd willingly walk on scalding hot coals before ever repeating his past.

"Alright, let's do this thing," he sighed. Gently laying her across the changing table, Puck gently strips her down to her diaper. Beth is less than happy with the arrangement, her tiny face curled in discomfort, legs kicking out in frustration. "Shh," he mumbles studying the layout of her current diaper intently. "Okay," he breathes. "According to this, all I have to do is take this thing…." He says, carefully removing the first tabs and quickly doing the same with the other. Puck jumps back a foot, not sure what to except. He hears Beth sigh and takes a sigh of relief.

Momentary peace is shattered when Beth lets out another deep cry. "Hold on, baby girl. I just have to figure out how we're going to do this," he mumbles, carefully pulling the soiled diaper from under her. He scours the room and sees a container of wipes sitting just a few inches from her head. He makes a mental note to thank his mom for stocking the room. "Now, I have no idea what I'm doing, Beth. Hang with me, okay?"

Hesitantly, Puck takes her legs, lifting them gently above her head. Hearing her grunt, he stops short. He swears silently when he realizes that she's managed to pee on him. "Fuck," he whispered. "Beth, you're not making this easy," he mumbles, brushing an elbow across his face. His second attempt is more successful as he's figured out to shield himself from another blow. Quickly, he replaces her diaper and redresses her. Taking a minute to examine his work, Puck notices that it's put on a bit haphazardly. He shrugs, not really caring. As long as she's covered and not complaining, he's not going to risk round three. "Is this gonna work for you?" he asks. Puck takes her silence as a yes and finds his way back to Quinn.

Before he even opens the bedroom door, he can hear her mumbling to herself. He smirks. _She's probably talking in her sleep again_. Opening the door a crack, he feels himself go tense. The first thing he sees is Quinn curled into herself, gently rocking back and forth.

"Quinn?" he whispered placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Glistening eyes meet his gaze as he quietly comes down on the bed next to her. Out of the corner of his eye, Puck notices that she's got a death grip on one of the overstuffed pillows. Putting Beth down next to her, he gently uncurls fingers, taking her hands in his own. "What's up?" Quinn can only shake her head, tears streaming freely down her face. His stomach drops when he notices how small she looks. Her vulnerability shakes him. "Another one?" he whispered. She nodded meekly, hugging the pillow closer to her. "Just breathe," he said softly. "It's all in your head."

"He's physically throwing me out on the street…" Puck puts a tentative hand on her thigh and feels her shrink away. He pulls himself up next to her, moving his daughter against him. "I keep trying to jiggle the lock, but no one lets me in…"

"Like I said, it's all your imagination. You're letting yourself feel and see things that make it scarier than it actually is."

"I was thrown out of my own house, Puck!"

"I know that," he shot back. "You have to realize that it's not the end of the world. Once you can wrap your head around that, your brain's going to stop spinning. Once you come to accept it on a certain level, you're not going to wake up scared shitless."

"You don't even know half of what's going on in here," she whispered.

"I can take a pretty good guess," he said gently. "From what I can see, you're just tired of people leaving. You're sick of not being enough for someone. You keep trying and trying and no matter how thin you stretch yourself, you're never going to be enough."

"I gave them everything. I lied, I pretended, just to give them a reason to love me…"

"Quinn, that's not love. That's not even a level of respect. To be loved or respected, all you have to be is yourself."

"I don't even know who that is anymore," she sighed.

"You do. You just refuse to show people. You refuse to let them in out of fear. You don't want to feel because that means you're weak. You have to be strong. You have to hold yourself together so that other people don't have to see you fall apart. Even when you have all the right in the world to breakdown, something, anything can hold you together. Just barely but it does. You gotta be the tough one. You have to be the man because you're all they have left." Somewhere in his lecture, she realizes they're not talking about her anymore. He's not telling her how to handle rejection. He's not telling her to suck it up and deal.

"It's okay to breakdown, Puck. They know how much you've done for them," she whispered.

"No," he growls with a heavy breath. "If there's one thing he taught me it's that guys are supposed to hold their shit together. We're not allowed to be all emotional and shit. That's for chicks. That's for Mom and Mel. I'm supposed to take everything out on the field."

"Just because you let yourself feel, doesn't mean you're not a man, Noah. Doesn't mean you have to do it all the time but every once and a while is healthy for anyone," she said softly, squeezing his knee under the thin duvet.

"This isn't even about me," he said sobering up. "Point I was trying to make is, you have to find a way to block everything out. It's slow but eventually you learn to block it all. Eventually, the one thing that kills you is buried deep enough that you're able to look past it. You're not going to forget it but time will let you handle it."

"Where do I even start?"

"Dig into something. Let something else be your focus. For me, it was my music. I got so absorbed in notes and rhythms that soon enough, that was all I thought about. Mom hated it, but it helped. She doesn't let me use chopsticks anymore…" Quinn allowed a small smile to crawl to her lips at the thought of Puck and air drums or guitars accompanied by Stella's scolding.

"Do you always have to give her such a hard time?" she sighed.

Puck just shrugs, an obvious smirk coming across his face. "She still loves me. How can she not? This is all her genes." Quinn opens her mouth to correct him but stops herself and just smiles. "I'm also her first born," he grinned. "I think she also thought it was either illegal shit or loud music."

"I can't believe you…" she sighed. Puck only shrugs when he hears her pull another heavy breath.

"Shit could always be worse," he muttered. Before she realizes what she's allowed herself to do, Quinn feels her head settle on his shoulder. Leaving it there for only a minute, she startles after feeling the warmth of his skin against her cheek. He's changed into a wife beater again. She smiles, remembering how common it is for him. Wearing nothing but a thin white top is trademark to a domestic Puck. The simplicity is common occurrence for the Puck that only she's allowed to know. She feels tears gather in her eyes as she smiles at the memory. As pointless as it may seem to anyone else, something so small is familiar to her. One tiny detail brings her a comfort, makes her almost feel…at home.

"You're right," she sighed as she lets a yawn slip from her lips. Puck finds his free hand crawling through her hair. A soft sigh escapes her lips as he gently pulls at a lock of her hair. "I just wish they could stop…"

"I hate to break it to you, sweetheart but these bitches are just gettin' started." Quinn runs her hand tiredly over her face and lets it fall back onto the pillow. She bites her lip to fight the whimper that wants so badly to escape as she lands too quickly. She can feel the heat of his hand run carefully through her hair as he chances a light kiss to her temple. Almost as soon as his lips meet her forehead, he pulls back waiting for her to tell him off for being so forward. She doesn't. Instead, her fingers play with the hem of his shirt, her fingers grazing his chest.

Typically, he would be a little turned on and ready to work for something more. The current situation seems to have shut him down though. At least for now. Puck doesn't quite understand what exactly flipped the switch from sex shark to…Well, something else. All he knows is that what he's seen of Quinn today, what he's walked in on just now, he's never seen in anyone. The fact that he finds it in a girl who's so hard headed, so solid. That scares him more than anything. Was that him almost ten years ago? Is what he sees in Quinn right now, what his mom and little sister had been forced to deal with? He's supposed to be good at hiding things, hiding how he feels. The gravity of the situation could have and probably did paint a completely different picture.

As she runs a finger down his chest, she hears her mumble something incoherently. He doesn't push her. If she wanted him to hear her, she would have said something more loudly. She's tracing mindless shapes and the feel of her finger to his skin sends a shiver through him. Puck watches her eyes close as she continues her fluid motions, her forehead settling against his chest. After a few minutes of mindless tracing, he hears her struggle to suppress a yawn and smiles, gently pulling away from her. Her quick shift from a pout to a straight face tells him that she's not too happy with being pushed away.

"Don't fight it," he muttered. "If you're tired, you sleep. Rest up now while she's still out. You're going to need all the energy you can take in the next little while." She groans, fighting the closing of her eyes.

"Can't sleep…" she whispered.

"Just close your eyes, Quinn," he chuckled.

"If I sleep…If I sleep or close my eyes for more than two minutes, I see him…" Puck groaned, positioning himself over the blankets. He begins another slow pattern, wondering how long it will take her to fall into unconsciousness again. The routine goes on for less than five minutes before he hears her even breath. He contemplates staying but then decides that too much too soon will only get him in trouble. He barely makes it through the door before he hears her silent protest. "No….Stay." He raises a brow in question, wondering for a minute how she's managed to pull herself into a dream so quickly. "Please?" she whispers, her eyes almost pleading with him. He sighs quietly, this time electing to settle under the blankets. He takes a minute to rejoice over the idea that he's actually been allowed to be this close to her since the last night they spent in his bed before she moved out.

Puck marvels at how easily her head seems to settle just blow his chin. It's almost as if she belongs there. The rhythmic patterns continue as he helps her settle into the deep sleep her body's been asking for. It takes him a minute to remember that Beth lies between them; her own sleep has yet to be disturbed. Puck groans sleepily, realizing that if he doesn't try and rest now, Beth will have him warn out by the end of her next wake up call.

"Better?" he mutters. Quinn nods with her eyes still closed.

"Just…Just lay here with me a while," she whispers. As the warmth of his body surrounds her, the safety she's been yearning returns. There was something about Puck that just made her feel protected. He's got a gentle touch that went far beyond his rough and edgy exterior. "Maybe your badassy tendencies will keep him away now," she laughs. He lets out a small chuckle in response as his mind fills with possibilities. Most of them make him more than angry. The fact that she's haunted by the face of a man who's supposed to love and protect her builds an anger in him beyond anything he's ever felt before.

He smirks at the irony. A father is supposed to do everything he can to keep his daughter away from guys like him. They're supposed to keep their daughters in some kind of protective bubble from anything and everything that could possibly hurt them. Quinn's situation is rather different, the polarizing qualities reminding Puck that she is nothing like any of the cougars or other cheerios that he's been with. She may play a hard game but if he peels back far enough, she's him in a skirt. So here is, the punk, filling in for her father's shitty attempt at parenting.

Running a hand through Beth's hair as she sleeps, he reminds himself that, come hell or high water, they will always come first. What lies in his bed is his to protect, to keep safe. Out of the corner of his eye, Puck takes in Quinn's softened face as she sleeps. He smiles, deciding that she should do that more. Sleeping makes her look so relaxed. It's a far cry from her pained expressions while she's awake.

"You know they will," he whispers. Carefully, he pulls one of the overstuffed pillows out from under her. Puck notices her cringe while she shifts her body differently against his. He smiles sadly when he settles a hand to her flattened stomach. Quinn being pregnant gave him an excuse to touch her without it seeming like he was in it just to have the feel of her skin against his. Now, he was almost afraid to do anything more than this. He notices her take hold of him, shifting so her nose settles in his shoulder.

"Please don't go…" she mutters. Seeing as she's been asleep for more than ten minutes now, he knows she's not talking to him. At least not consciously. Pulling a piece of hair behind her ear, he chances a touch of his lips to the shell of her ear. With a heavy sigh of his own, he runs a finger down Beth's cheek watching her shift and resettle as he does Her contented sigh lets him run his fingers once down her back before sleep finds him.

**A/N: Comments? Questions? Gripes? Complaints? Review and let me have it.**


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